Wedding Bells
by yvj
Summary: At 25, Ron has graduated from college, he's gone as far as he can go at Smarty Mart and he sits idly by as his relationship with Kim remains in neutral. Everything is perfect until someone is bitten by the wedding bug
1. Wedding Bells

A/N All right folks don't mind me I'm just clearing out my brain so I can get back to Middlewood...this is kind of AU-ish I guess

If anyone cares my next few updates should be…..A Lot Like Love….Another New Story….Middlewood….Hero/Other old stuff I've forgotten.

* * *

"**Yo Mr. Dr. P, how's my favorite rocket scientist doing today?" Ron asked, strolling into the Possible's backyard.**

"**Ronald, I'm the only rocket scientist you know," James said as he mopped his brow with a handkerchief. He sat under a backyard shade canopy, but it was barely keeping the bright sun and sweltering heat off his body.**

"**That's why you're my fav, number one on a short list of one." Ron grinned. He glanced briefly at the clear blue sky. "So Mr. P hot e…"**

"**Ronald if you're going to ask if 'it's hot enough for me', let me answer with a preemptive 'yes it is'. This heat is driving me insane."**

"**Here's a tip, institutionalize yourself before the guys with the straight jacket get to you. Make it seem like it's your idea."**

**James chuckled and glanced at the pitcher of lemonade and clear glasses on the patio table. "Would you like to join me for a drink?"**

**Ron smiled. "Sounds good to me" He swiftly took a seat in the lawn chair directly across from James Possible, before pouring himself a drink.**

"**Ronald, let me ask you something; you're a big Star Wars Fan aren't you?"**

"**I'm a huge fan actually."**

"**In the original Star Wars, why was there a trash compactor on the Death Star? What I mean is, the Empire had the power to destroy planets. Why couldn't they incinerate their trash with lasers?"**

"**I always thought they would chuck the trash into space."**

"**Yes, then why bother with the compacting? Let me tell you something Ronald, in an infinite vacuum, it doesn't really matter how much space the trash takes up. In addition why does a futuristic trash compactor, compact trash so slowly, and with such difficulty, when a thin metal rod was introduced to the environment? And another thing, why do both walls of the trash compactor move towards each other? Wouldn't it be more efficient to have one movable wall system…."**

"**Mr. P," Ron interrupted, "I never thought I'd be the one to say this but it's just a movie."**

"**You're absolutely right. But it's just something that's been gnawing at my craw for awhile…..Ronald, you do know that Kim's not at home. She's babysitting at the Walsh's."**

**Ron took a long slip of lemonade. "Yeah I know… but uh, I actually wanted to talk about her… if you don't mind."**

**James raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" **

**Ron ran his hands across the back of his neck. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about Kim for awhile."**

"**Go on."**

"**If you haven't noticed, it's been about a year since the junior prom where... uh well, you know…"**

"**You and my kimmie-cub became a couple."**

"**Right," Ron chuckled nervously, "yeah, that is indeed the particular event that I was referencing." He coughed. "Anyway the point is that uh……"**

**Ron paused as James topped himself off with another glass.**

"**Kim's a great gal," Ron said quickly. **

"**She's an incredible individual," James added.**

"**Oh yeah, totally," Ron agreed.**

"**Light of my life" **

**Ron nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing… in fact, the first thing that popped into my head this morning was 'who needs the morning sun when Kim's around?' For me, Kim sets in the east and she rises in the west."**

"**What do you want Ronald?"**

"**I'd like to marry her." **

**James' jaw dropped.**

**Ron waved his hands around. "No, not today, I'm talking about eventually, someday, in the not to distant future," he added quickly. "I'd prefer to have some kind of steady life in order before I, you know, pop the question, like having a steady career… maybe a house or two… his and her Porsches…….."**

**As Ron rambled off on to his own world, James couldn't help but see Ron in a different light, suddenly the days of a younger Ron tripping up all over his house, breaking precious family ornaments seemed to be a thing of the distant past. **

"**You really love her don't you?"**

"**Matching yachts…." Ron stopped when he realized what he had been asked. "Oh man, yes I do ... me and KP; we're totally on the same wavelength here. I mean, do you know how great it is when even the silence between two people is comfortable. I mean, the freaking silence, there is no such thing as uncomfortable silence between us! Have you ever experienced anything like that?"**

**James took another swallow of lemonade and smiled. "Yes Ron, I have."**

**Ron shook his head in embarrassment. "Oh right, Mrs. Dr. P." **

"**Best thing I've ever done in my life is marrying her… What the heck… OK Ronald you have my blessings." **

**Ron let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his seat. "Thanks Mr. P, I appreciate it."**

"**Like my Kimmie says, 'it's no big'." **

**Ron stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his ankles "Mr. Dr. P, where did we find the luck, to get the chance to be with two of the most badical ladies this side of paradise."**

"**It wasn't luck Ronald, it was skill."**

"**Booyah!" Ron raised his glass for a toast and James tapped his glass against Ron's "to the future!" Ron crowed.**

"**You know Ronald, the future has a way of creeping up on you very quickly," James warned.**

"**Trust me Mr. Dr. P the quicker it comes, the better."**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nine Years Later:

"Stoppable" Barkin groaned "Does the phrase 'home invasion' mean anything to you?"

Ron who had been currently sprawled out over Barkin's couch abruptly sat up. "Do I? That's the hottest video game out right. I'm thinking about grabbing it for my b-day."

Barkin leaned back into his armchair. "You do realize I have the right to shoot you for trespassing, don't you?"

Ron grimaced. "Come on Mr. B, we both know that you wouldn't shoot the most distinguished student you've ever known."

"You're right, I wouldn't shoot Justine Flanner, because she's hasn't selfishly invited herself into my home."

"How is Justine anyway?"

"Last month she won a Noble Prize in quantum physics."

Ron clucked. "Well, I recently joined a gym."

"Really?" Barkin said with exasperation.

"My favorite machine there is the vending machine," he mused.

Barkin ran his hands across his face. "Stoppable, why are you in my house, sitting in my living room, taking up my air conditioning?"

"My home, my living room, my air conditioning, Mr B you're skinny dipping in lake me, you've got to get out and dry yourself off."

"What do you want?"

"I just need somebody to talk to."

"Don't you have a girlfriend? A family, friends, a pet rat?"

"Correction sir, naked mole rat! But I can't talk to them about this. Mr. B I just need to vent a little."

Barkin groaned again. "But why me? Why does it have to be my house?"

Ron glanced around the house once and twice. "I don't know, something about this place just screams tranquility. The feng shui around here is amazing, this place is comfortable, it's perfect just the way it is and there's no reason to change."

"What are you babbling about?"

Ron closed his eyes for a moment before inhaling and exhaling. "Let me set this up. I am pretty sure, well as sure as I can be; that Kim is the one, though we are currently not living together. She's going to graduate school and… I'm doing stuff… you know, to get some experience… trying to work out my degree."

"What did you major in?"

"Liberal Arts"

"Of course"

"I appreciate you holding in your laughter."

Barkin shrugged. "Well you are a guest in my home."

"Yet I see no snacks, or tea, on the coffee table. A few vanilla wafers wouldn't exactly hurt my feeling you know……Anyway, me and Kim are clicking. Two against the world, we're on the right page with the perfect format."

"I'm glad you've cleared things up, I was losing sleep worrying about you two."

Ron ignored Barkin and continued. "But lately she's been acting different."

"Different?"

"Yeah, things are getting complicated, and I don't know if you know this, but sometimes I can be a little oblivious……."

Barkin shook his head. "I think we need NASA to calculate how large an understatement that is."

"…….Recently I've been seeing these signs and it all started when Monique announced that she was getting married."

"I got my invitation to the wedding last week."

Ron scoffed. "Yeah, you and half of Middleton….that wedding is going to be something else. I was there when the news broke."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Eight months ago:**

"**Wait, what… how is this happening?" Ron cried as he tapped frantically on his game controller. "Rufus, I thought we had a pact, no secret training sessions!'**

**A squeal of laughter escaped Rufus' lips as he deftly pawed at a controller of his own. 'High score' the little creature squeaked.**

**Suddenly Kim entered the living, reached over the back of the couch and began to lovingly massage Ron's shoulders.**

**He melted under her touch. "Oooohhh," he cooed, "that feels really good…..what do you want me to do KP?" **

"**What, I can't spontaneously massage me BF every once in awhile?"**

**He moaned in delight. "Yes you can, but it seems like you only 'spontaneously' massage me when you want something."**

**She blushed and promptly stopped. "Ok, you got me, I do want something."**

"**That doesn't mean you have to stop…." Ron pouted.**

"**Ok," she happily continued, "I want to talk about that executive job at Mucho Grande Bueno Nacho that Hego offered you."**

"**Is that what's been bothering you? Well let me put your mind at ease Kim I'm not taking the job"**

"**What, why not?"**

"**I can tell your right now that Hego and I will have massive communication problems"**

"**Communication problems?"**

"**He doesn't shut up KP. Its yap, yap, yap with that guy."**

**She rolled her eyes. "You could at least try to see if you can work with the guy."**

**Ron shook his head "Kim I don't need to try leprosy to figure out I don't want it…look I'm practically running Smarty Mart right now."**

"**Ron, you're a college graduate."**

"**Yeeeeaaaahhhhhhh aren't you proud of me?"**

"**I am, but you should have loftier goals. This job with Hego can offer you so many opportunities."**

**Ron was about to reply when his front door slammed open and Monique bounded into his apartment. **

"**Monique what are you doing here?" Kim asked. **

"**And wasn't my door locked?" Ron blurted out.**

"**Kim, I've got huge news," she cried excitedly.**

"**Did you see that? She just broke through my door swat style."**

**Kim moved in closer to Monique. "What's the sitch Mo?"**

**A huge smile came to her face. "KIMITHINKHE'STHE'ONE!" she said quickly.**

"**What did she say?" Ron said when he saw Kim's face light up.**

**Kim grabbed Monique by the hands. "THE'ONE?'YOUMEANTHE'ONE-ONE'THEREAL'ONE'THE'ONEANDTRULYONE!"**

"**YESANDHE'SASKEDMETOMARRYHIM!"**

"**NO!"**

"**YES!"**

"**NO!"**

"**YES!"**

"**OHMYGODMONIQUE ICAN'TBELIEVEITI'MSOHAPPYFORYOU!"**

"**IKNOWICAN'TBELIEVEITEITHIERTHISISTHEHAPPIESTDAYOFMYLIFE!"**

"**I'MSOEXCITED!"**

"**METOO!"**

"**AH!"**

"**AH!"**

**The two girlfriends broke down in each other arms crying hysterically. Tears of joy streamed down their faces, as they were overcome by extreme happiness.**

**Ron and Rufus glanced at each other. **

"**What just happened?"**

**Rufus could only shrug.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It was another half an hour before I found out it was the good type of crying and not the bad kind of crying."

Barkin chortled "Women, and they get upset when we say we can't understand them."

They both laughed aloud for twenty seconds or so before Barkin abruptly turned serious, cutting off his own laughter leaving Ron to guffaw on his own.

"Stoppable, stop laughing," Barkin instructed; Ron did his best to stop on a dime but instead ended up in a coughing fit.

"I'm concerned son; you seem to have grown complacent."

"Complacent?"

"Complacent: To be pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-sat……."

"I know what complacent means; I'm a college grad you know….ok so I'm complacent, so what? I got the girl, I'm done with school, I've a pretty decent job by anyone's standards, I've got my health, I'm a B list celebrity……what's wrong with complacency?"

"Too much complacency can be a bad thing."

"You know what else can be a bad thing, an inhospitable host." He coughed. "My throat is a little parched; I could use a little iced tea and maybe a piece of lemon cake on the side."

"Fine," Barkin grumbled before clambering to his feet.

"Don't worry; I'll just keep talking as you whip up a little snackage" Ron adjusted himself on the couch. "Anyway Monique was really excited about her engagement….. What is it with girls and marriage anyway? I mean, like the very next month she was already picking out her wedding dress…she invited Kim, who in turn of course invited me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Ron sat in a corner of the bridal boutique and watched wordlessly as Kim and Monique discussed every minute detail of an event that was perhaps months and months away from happening.**

**Monique adjusted her bridal veil. "…..and I'll have flowers in my hair, maybe sunflowers, no roses, white roses with dew drops on them. And all of the bride's maids will have satin shoes; everything in the room must match my dress of course."**

"**You're going to look beautiful," Kim proclaimed. "So I've been wondering are you going to keep your last name?"**

**Monique smoothed out her dress. "I don't know, there is that inner urge to really bond with my future hubby, and sharing a name is one way of doing it. But even though it might seem less important these days, keeping my last name is still a statement of equality and empowerment for women and….."**

**Monique stopped short when she caught sight of herself in a large mirror. She twirled in a circle letting the dress flow all around her. "I'm going to look like a princess! Kim, for one magical day, I'm finally going to be a princess!"**

**Kim and Monique embraced and once again the tears flowed freely. Then as if on cue Monique's mother burst into the room. "Honey you look just like a princess!"**

"**I know," Monique cried. Then her mother embraced her and it quickly became a three way hug.**

**Ron watched over this scene alone from the corner of the room.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everything is happening so fast. It's like things are changing all at once, Monique is getting married, Hanna's turning nine…….I mean we were in high school like what, three days ago?"

"Time flies Stoppable."

"And look at Josh and Tara, their kid turned two years old three months ago. Two years old!!"

"They've sent me pictures, cute kid."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "That's what everybody says, but I've stared into the eyes of the tiny menace. And I've only got two words, bad road."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Ron grabbed Kim's hand before she could knock on the front door of the Mankey home. "KP, tell me again why we're visiting the home of your old boyfriend."**

**She turned to him. "One, Josh and Tara are our friends. Two, they're happily married with a beautiful child, they've just moved into their own house and they've invited us over. Three, we dated for what? The time between home room and U.S History?"**

"**Well, he kissed you before I did. You get shot for that kind of stuff in my hood."**

"**Are you done?"**

"**Actually I'm not. There are so many better things we can be doing than visiting these so called "friends."**

"**Like what?" **

"**We can spend the day in bed," he suggested coyly.**

"**Next."**

"**Hmmm, you dismissed that a little too quickly for my liking. We could go to the arcad…." He hesitated when she crossed her arms over her chest.**

"**The movies…."**

**She glowered at him.**

"**We could go to the park and read poetry to each other."**

**She sighed.**

"**We could be, not visiting Josh and Tara."**

**Kim took the opportunity to knock on the door. "And I don't want to see you sulking around the place. Put on your happy face."**

"**You sound like a kindergarten teacher," Ron quipped. "So what do we call this couple anyway…Jara…Jora…or maybe Tosh…..Tash?"**

**Kim looked at him as if he was crazy. "What are you talking about?"**

**Before Ron could answer the front door opened. "Kim, Ron I'm glad you guys made it."**

"**What are you talking about Josh," Ron grinned as they followed Josh into the house. "Wild horses couldn't keep us away from the Mankey House."**

**Josh opened his arms out wide. "Welcome to our very humble abode." **

"**It's beautiful," Kim declared while scanning the initial hallway.**

"**Two car garage, four bedrooms and two bathrooms," Josh boasted.**

"**The living room is a little bare," Ron commented. Kim deftly jabbed him in the gut with her elbow as she stepped into the room containing a single loveseat and a couch.**

"**Yea we still haven't gotten the furniture we ordered from Milan."**

"**Milan, Oregon?" Ron asked.**

**Josh glanced at Kim then back at Ron "No uh, Milan, in Italy."**

**Ron whistled. "Wow, that's way more impressive."**

**And so the tour continued, Josh ushered them past the bedrooms and the master suite, onto the patio and the through the dining room.**

"**I've got to hand it to you Josh, it sure is big….maybe a little too big," Kim jabbed him again. "I'm just saying there's something to be said about a small cozy apartment," Ron argued.**

**Kim gave him a sullen look and Josh chuckled. "Hey, a few years ago I would have said the same thing. But when Tina was born, I knew we had to move into something more appropriate. We've all got responsibilities to take care of, you know."**

**Kim shot Ron another look that seemed to imply 'I hope you're paying attention'**

**_What was that look about? _Ron wondered. "By the way, where's the mama and baby bear?"**

"**Over here guys," came a voice from the kitchen. **

"**I'm sorry for making you wait," Tara said as she exited the kitchen. "I had to fight to keep Tina from tearing off her dress."**

"**She's going through a nudist phase," Josh whispered to Kim and Ron.**

"**Right," Ron replied. "Why is he whispering to us?" he in turn whispered to Kim just as an adorable little blond in a sun dress, carrying a plastic doll, stepped out from behind her mother. **

"**Oh she's so pretty!" Kim exclaimed as the little tot waddled over to them. **

**Ron crouched down to one knee. "Hey little lady," he pointed at her doll, "who's that?"**

"**Ron I wouldn't do that…." Before Josh could finish his warning, Tina whipped her doll at Ron's face. The doll's hard plastic head struck him in eye before he could blink. **

"**Ow!"**

"**Ron!" Josh, Kim and Tara crowded around him as he cried out in pain clutching at his left eye. **

"**Let me see it," Kim said as she looked over his now bloodshot eye.**

"**I'm fine, I'm fine," he forced himself to chuckle. "It's ok, girl's got an arm like Roger Clemens," he laughed.**

"**She's going through a "throwing" phase," Josh announced.**

"**Sure, of course."**

"**I'm so sorry Ron."**

"**Tara, I'm fine really…..No big."**

XXXXX

**Ron was massaging the area around his stinging eye as Kim and Tara chatted, when Josh entered the living room with a tray of plastic of cups.**

"**Sorry, we'd have clean glasses for you to drink from, but my beloved wife thought it was a** **good idea to dump all our old kitchenware before the new ones arrived."**

"**Well," Tara smiled at her husband, "our kitchenware might have arrived on time if my darling husband hadn't messed up the order."**

**Ron shifted uncomfortably on the couch.**

"**Sweetie, I already told you I didn't mess up the order; I clearly remember explaining every tiny detail of the order to their customer service rep. It's not my fault he was incompetent."**

**Kim chuckled nervously. "I swear, if that was me I would have had a screaming match with that jerk."**

"**I know you would Kim, but my intrepid husband doesn't believe in such things. That's why he let the people remodeling the kitchen walk all over him," she said sweetly.**

**Josh took a seat on the arm of the love seat Tara was sitting on. "Now cupcake, I already explained that you have to deal with these people delicately or else we'll have to take out a second mortgage just to pay for new kitchen tiles. If you would just listen to me every once in awhile you'd realize I know what I'm talking about," he said through his teeth.**

"**Of course honey but…."**

**Ron cleared his throat.**

"**Oh I'm sorry," Josh said, "what were you guys talking about before I interrupted?" **

"**Uh we were talking about how great married life is," Kim answered.**

**_Is that what they were talking about? _Ron thought bewildered.**

**Josh smirked like the Cheshire cat. "Oh it's pure bliss, I just couldn't imagine waking up next to any else besides my sweet T…I love you baby." **

**Tara grinned herself. "I love you, too Snookie. I'm sorry… I know I've been stressing you out to the maximum."**

"**As long as you keep lovin' me to the maximum, I'll get by just fine. Like they say, marriage is three parts love and seven parts forgiveness."**

"**Ooooo I love it when you quote Lao Tzu to me." Josh leaned over and planted a passionate kiss on his wife. Then they quietly pawed at each other ignoring the fact that they were two other people in the room.**

**Ron gawked at them as if two aliens had just landed in the room and offered to serve man. He was seconds away from making a wry remark to Kim when he noticed that she was now mesmerized by this disturbing display of public affection.**

**He heard her mutter something unintelligibly, it sounded like something along the lines of "romantic and sweet"**

**Eventually, Jara or Tosh whatever they'd prefer to be called; broke their kiss and separated but not before rubbing their noses together in an act so syrupy Ron could swear he could feel his teeth starting to rot. Tara turned to Kim. "So when are you two going to take the plunge?"**

**Ron's plastic cup fell to the floor. Luckily for the carpet it was empty. **

"**I uh what?" he exclaimed.**

"**You guys have been like a married couple since high school," Josh teased, "why don't you just make it official?"**

"**Oh, you know, things haven't exactly aligned properly…..the stars and the planets" he joked **

"**You know" Tara started "Married people are much happier and likely to be less unhappy than any other group of people. Plus, mental illness is lower in married people as compared with unmarried or divorced people. And believe it not, but it's been scientifically proven that married people live up to eight years longer than divorced or never-married people."**

**Ron nodded. "Oh yeah, I totally know all about that, I read the very same article, online somewhere….the thing is…" Why wasn't his G.F saying anything, and why was every eyeball in the room on him? Especially Kim's, it was like her pupils were boring into his soul.**

**Ron continued to stammer when he felt a slight tug at his leg. He looked down to see tiny Tina pulling at his pants.**

"**Aw, she wants to apologize for earlier," Kim cooed.**

**Ron patted her on the head. "Apology accepted little T," he turned to Josh and Tara. "You guys are so lucky, she's the cutest little thing eve…"**

"**Ron, I wouldn't do that."**

"**What?" **

**Ron turned away from Tara back to Tina just as she sank her teeth into his open palm.**

XXXXXX

"**Kim it's not like I don't like kids….I love kids…but they should seriously consider renaming the little gremlin Damiana."**

"**Shhhh."**

"**You're shushing me?" he held up his left hand for her to see. "Do you see these teeth marks…I think she hit bone! Kim I think I'm going through a "kid hating" phase"**

"**Shhhh," Kim repeated, "here they come….I'll kiss you booboo when we get home, will that make you feel better?"**

"**A little" Ron pouted**

"**Tina's finally asleep… I'm sorry we should have mentioned that she was also going through a "biting" phase."**

"**Amp down Tara, I'm totally Fonzie…but uh let me know when she's going through a sniping phase so I can go look for cover."**

"**Ron, are you sure your hand is ok?" Josh inquired.**

"**Yeah, it's fine." **

"**So not the drama Josh, trust me, Ron's tougher than he looks….I hope you weren't to hard on Tina?"**

"**I'm going to be honest, I tried to discipline her but when she looked at me with those adorable doe eyes and kissed me on the cheek, I pretty much folded," Josh admitted.**

"**You know how kids are," Tara beamed. "They make you crazy all day, pushing you right to the edge until they do something so sweet and charming it makes you remember how much you really do love them."**

**Kim smiled before giving Ron a fleeting look. "Sounds like someone I know."**

**Josh then clapped his hands together "So how about a game of Monopoly?"**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So we played monopoly, then we followed that with a rousing game off trivial pursuit. After that we watched some Hugh Grant movie and we rounded the night off with Kim and Tara exchanging gossip in the kitchen while Josh told me how much he sold his latest painting for."

Ron sighed as he lay down on Barkin's couch. "In high school Josh used to be so cool. Now he's telling me how it's the perfect time to get a house because it's a 'buyers market', whatever that means." He sat upright. "Then, as we're leaving, he pulls me to the side and says "You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without."

"The nerve," Barkin stated

"Exactly! Like I don't know what Kim means to me….. no one knows how much I love that girl but me….Sometimes I even feel sorry for her, she fell in love with me and has been paying for it ever since….." With that said he plopped back down on the couch.

There were two more weird incidents after the Josh, Tara fiasco. The first one completely freaked me out.

"What happened?"

"Two weeks ago, Kim got a dog."

"What's wrong with her getting a dog? You have a pet don't you?"

"I wish it were that black and white."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Ron sat with his right arm wrapped around Kim as they sat on the couch in her apartment. He stared into the adorably hazel eyes of the tiny fawn colored creature with a wrinkled black mask that was snuggling into Kim's lap.**

"**A puggle?"**

"**Yeah, it's a crossbreed between two breeds of dogs, a pug and a beagle. Isn't she just the cutest thing? **

"**I didn't know you wanted a pet."**

"**This little cutie caught my attention when I volunteered to work at the University's adopt a pet rally. When she looked at me with those angelic eyes, I knew there was no way I could walk away from her."**

"**Cool," Ron said as he ran his fingers through the dog's fur. "She is a real charmer isn't she?"**

"**Did you hear that sweetie, daddy said you were charming."**

**_The sound of someone slamming hard on the brakes immediately followed by screeching tires_**

**_Daddy_? **

**Kim scratched the puppy behind its ears. "You are a charmer aren't you? Yes you are, yes you are…."**

**Ron nonchalantly stood up as Kim continued to caress her new pet. "Um, excuse me," he said before making his way towards the bathroom.**

"**_Did I just hear that?" _he wondered as he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. "_Ok, what if I did hear that. Is there something wrong with what she said? No, actually in a way it was kind of hot," _Ron ran his hands under the open faucet and splashed some water on his face. "B_ut then again, in another way it irked me on some level……..irked?"_**

**Ron chuckled. "So she said daddy, why am I freaking? It doesn't mean anything…it was probably just a one time thing. I should bring it up to her. Yeah, she'll probably just laugh."**

**A sudden sense of relief washed over Ron as he stepped out of the bathroom. "Hey KP, you know you just called me-----"**

"**Ron you're just in time," she interrupted. She placed the puggle on the ground. "Come on, show Ron your trick, come on girl, sit up, sit up for mommy."**

_**Mommy! **_

**Ignorant of Ron's temporary paralysis caused by the sudden shock of calling herself mommy; Kim walked over to him and grabbed him by the hand. "Come closer, maybe she'll do it if we both cheer her on."**

**As Kim pulled him along, by some weird coincidence Ron's eyes fell on a particular book in Kim's book shelf. Urged on by some vague yet strange sense of curiosity mixed with foreboding Ron put his left arm out and snatched the book from the shelf as Kim dragged him away by the arm.**

**Somehow he knew what the book was without bothering to read the title. "A book of baby names?" he said aloud.**

**Kim stopped in her tracks before turning towards him with a hint of crimson on her cheeks. "Uh……"**

**Ron's mind quickly conjured up an explanation for this peculiar item. "Are you using this to name the dog?"**

"**Oh no it's not for her I…." Kim stopped mid sentence when she realized her mistake. **

"**Huh?" Ron said as he flipped the book open. "Who are they for then?"**

"**FOR?!" She cleared her throat. "No one really…."**

"**You've got a lot of names marked in here. Wait, if you got the dog today, why are these pages so worn and torn? It looks like someone's been reading through this almost every night."**

'**Um…you see, the thing is that……"**

"**If it's not for the dog," Ron continued, "why would you mark the names? Why would you even have a book like this anyway?"**

"**I uh…because…well," Kim stammered. "Now that I think about it, this book was here when I rented the apartment," she said.**

**Ron was on the verge of coming up with a few follow up question, when there was a knock on the front door. **

"**I'll get it," he told her, his train of thoughts having now been derailed. Kim let out a sigh of relief as headed for the front door.**

**_Why was she so flustered? All I did was ask a simple question? Something is going on here……_**

**As Ron continued to piece together his jumbled thoughts he unlocked Kim's front door.**

"**Surprise!" **

"**Hey, it's the Dr. P's," Ron bellowed. "Come on in, your daughter's casa es su casa," he said as he lightly pecked Mrs. Possible on the cheek, and followed it up by shaking Mr. Possible's hands.**

"**We thought we'd stop by and see the new addition to the family."**

_**What?**_

**Kim held up the pup for all to see. "Here she is."**

"**Oh she's so adorable" Anne squealed. "Oh come to grandma!"**

_**Grandma!**_

**Ron watched as the two female Possibles' clamored and fawned over the confused canine, he couldn't help but laugh.**

"**A dog is wonderful but it's not like it's a……baby or anything right Mr. P," Ron turned to James only to see him winding up a disposable camera.**

"**Well, you know how our girls are, sometimes they get carried away," he replied before placing the camera up to his right eye. "Kim, hold her up again so grandpa can capture some memories." He shouted happily before rushing towards his family.**

_**Grandpa? What the heck is going on here?**_

"**Don't just stand there like a statue Ron, come and join us."**

"**Ok. Whatever you say KP," Ron said as he slowly marched towards the middle of the living room. **

_**Something very weird is happening here.**_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I have to admit, that is a bit bizarre" Barkin stated.

"Tell me about it."

Barkin ran his fingers along his chin. "So Possible is transferring certain maternal urges to a pet. That's perfectly normal for a woman her age."

"Maternal urges huh?"

"Yes, maternal urges."

Ron looked down at the ground. "Have you ever noticed that if you're wearing tight shoes, you forget all about your problems?"

"Stoppable focus…..marriage and parenthood consists of a lot of responsibility, and a lot of pressure, things that you are obviously afraid of."

"Afraid is such a strong word."

"Then there are the other standard fears associated with such a commitment. A fear of getting sick of each other, a fear of having children and bringing them into this horrible world, a fear that life wont be 'fun' anymore. Are you ok son you look like you're about to faint?"

"Well if I am going to faint, let me get this last thing of my chest first."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**WITNESS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE FEARLESS FERRET MOVIE TRAILER AFTER THIS COMMERCIAL BREAK.**

**Ron rubbed his hands together as he kept his eyeballs glued to the screen. "This might possibly be the greatest minute and a half of my life."**

**His heart skipped a beat when the television suddenly shut itself off.**

"**What the heck?"**

**Suddenly Kim appeared from the shadows of the room. She twirled the T.V remote in her hand like a pistol and stuffed it into her pocket. Then she walked across the room and seated herself on Ron's lap.**

"**Uh, did you need something? Because the F.F trailer is about to come….."**

**She quickly silenced him with a deeply satisfying kiss. "Wow," Ron huffed when the kiss broke, "KP if you're trying to seduce me, you don't really have to go through all this trouble. All you really have to do is exist in the same dimension as I do…"**

**She smiled at him; a look of intrigue on her face.**

"**Seriously, when it comes to you, I'm easy as Sunday morning." He paused, something was definitely up. **

"**It's not your birthday," he said unsteadily, "that's not until May fiffffffffffffffffffff"**

"**Fifteenth"**

"**Fifteenth" he said quickly, "I was just about to say that if you had just let me finish…...It's not an anniversary is it?"**

"**Nope"**

"**So, why did you turn off the T.V?"**

"**I want to talk about us."**

_**US!**_

"**By 'us', do you mean me? Did I do something wrong?"**

"**No actually, you've been perfect"**

_**US!**_

**Kim pressed her beautiful lips together. "Ron we've been together for a long time right?"**

"**Well if you look at it terms of the whole universe, it really hasn't been that long," he replied.**

"**Ron, do you love me?"**

"**Is Monkey Fist a freak?"**

**She nuzzled against his neck. "I love you too and I was thinking…."**

_**Thinking**_

"**Thinking about what?" He studied her face to see if he could find a quick answer. But of course the deeper workings of her mind were an enigma to him.**

**She started to playfully tug at his earlobes. "I think we should……"**

**Be-be-be-beep**

**In a flash Kim instantly transformed into what Ron had dubbed 'Mission Kim'. She leaped off his lap and sprinted towards her room.**

**Ron let out a deep sigh. "What was that about?"**

**Kim returned abruptly around thirty seconds later. "I'm sorry Ron but we've got to move, trouble in Siberia."**

"**Yeah, ok I'll get the coats."**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Oh man, is it getting hot in here or is it just me?"

"It's just you, I've got central air conditioning. So what do you think she was going to say?"

"I've played the scene in my mind a million times and it always turns out the same."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Kim pressed her beautiful lips together "Ron we've been together for a really long time right?"**

"**Well if you look at it terms of the universe it really hasn't been that long," he replied.**

"**Ron do you love me?"**

"**Is Monkey Fist a freak?"**

**She nuzzled against his neck. "I love you too and I was thinking…."**

_**Thinking**_

"**Thinking about what?" He studied his face to see if he could find a quick answer. But of course the deeper workings of her mind were an enigma to him.**

**She started to playfully tug at his earlobes. "I think we should……" Abruptly she pushed him down and pinned him against the couch.**

"**I WAS THINKING WHAT I REALLY WANT IS TO GET MARRIED IMMEDIATELY AND HAVE YOUR BABY!!!!!!!'**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well I have to tell you for the first time ever you're actually having a fairly normal reaction to something, for someone in your position."

"So do you have any advice?"

"I can't really tell you anything you don't already know. You obviously love Possible, it's up to you to find out why taking the next obvious step is so scary to you."

Ron lowered his head. "Yeah, yeah I guess you're right. Thanks for listening though."

"I don't think I really had a choice." The next minute or so were steeped in silence.

Ron stood up. "This has been really good….venting like this…..so I'd like to schedule another appointment for next Thursday night."

"Thursday night is no good; I'm going to the Opera."

"Really?"

"Don Giovanni."

"Nice…I think…..you got a date?"

"I will be accompanied by a lady."

"Bout time, God willing she'll mellow you out….Anyone I know."

"Maybe."

"Nice," Ron repeated. "So is Friday afternoon good for you?"

"I've got a Pixie Scot meeting then…Friday morning however is doable."

"Seven A.M morning or eleven A.M morning?"

"Eleven A.M is fine."

"Badical."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron entered his apartment to find Kim lying on his couch, bathing in the glow of the television set. He'd almost forgotten that she was staying over for the weekend "Kim, are you awake?"

"Yeah"

He sat down and she placed the back of her head on his lap, while staring up at him "I was just thinking" he said

"You were"

"You're all I want, you know that right?"

"Of course I do"

He didn't say anything as he continued to stare down into her lovely face

"And?" she said when he remained silent for more than a few seconds.

"I think….that…we….should….move in together?"

"Oh," there was a tiny hint of disappointment in her voice. "Wait, was that a statement or a question?"

"Um….uh…..a statement, a definite statement."

"That's…that's great." There wasn't any disappointment in her voice this time. Nor was there anger or sadness, it sounded optimistic, hopeful even, and dare he say, he heard a bit of excitement.

"No, it's better than great it's wonderful. Like they say 'we'll dip our toes in and test the temperature,'" she said.

He felt her lips brush against his and they embraced for a brief yet highly enjoyable kiss. Then she broke away and practically jumped off the couch

"Hey where are you going?"

"I'm going to tell my mom the good news."

"Great"

* * *

A/N I'm not too confident about this one but it's been rattling around in my brain for awhile, but I had to get it out or I couldn't move on to the other stuff. So there you go, hope you dug it, read and review. 


	2. Umbrella

A/N Welcome back folks I'm in what is in my opinion a writing hot streak...here's hoping I can keep the streak going. Enjoy

* * *

Ron picked the glass of lemonade off of Barkin's coffee table and downed the drink in one gulp. He put the glass down and settled back into the couch. 

Barkin glared at the blond for a minute or so before he got up from his armchair, walked over to the coffee table, slid a coaster under Ron's glass and returned to his seat.

"Haven't seen you for awhile Stoppable, I thought I was finally rid of you."

'Well I've been busy Mr. B."

"You and Possible moving in together?"

"Yep."

"How's that working out for you?"

"It has its up and downs. A few more ups than downs actually."

Barkin placed his fingers together in the form of a pyramid. "Can you elaborate? I ask knowing you will anyway."

Ron reached for the pitcher of lemonade next to his glass and poured himself another cup. "Alright, allow me to explain the events in chronological order."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**First morning together: **

**Ron gulped. "You made me breakfast?" **

**While Kim's cooking had improved slightly over the years, breakfast was not her strong point. A shame, since her mother made the most excellent panca---**

"**Here you go." She gleefully handed him a plate and took a seat across from him at the kitchen table.**

**Ron gazed down at the slightly off color omelet and picked up his fork. He took a fleeting glance at Kim and discovered that she was watching him closely. He smiled and shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth. **

**He prayed to the heavens that his face did not betray him. It was a miracle that his eyes didn't water. "It's a little salty."**

"**Oh." He heard the shade of disappointment in her voice and noticed that there was borderline hurt in her eyes. **

**He quickly shoveled a few more bits into his mouth. "I mean it's great, it's really, really good. It's just that I would personally use less salt. The salt takes away from the flavor. But other than that it's fantastic." He told her with a mouthful of eggs. **

**She perked up immediately. "Really?"**

"**Oh yeah." **

**She grinned happily. "Well you know, don't expect this every day, because sometimes I'll be busy."**

"**Of course we'll switch it up." **

**The phone rang and she got up, "I'll get it,"**

**He nodded, his mouth to full to speak at the moment. He swallowed and sighed when she practically skipped out the room. **

_**My god, did she cook these with water from the Dead Sea?**_

**Ron poked at the eggs with his fork. Yes, the breakfast was terrible but she did go out of her way to make it for him. He smiled when he thought of how she blushed when he told her he liked it. **

**He pushed the food around the plate for awhile, braced himself, and eventually took another bite.**

_**Hmm... tastes better after the twelfth bite. **_

**When he finished his plate, he found that overall the meal had been quite…..warming.**

**Day 3 **

**Kim was combing through a few emails when Ron burst into the room. "Kim, some weird freak broke in last night and stole all my clothes!"**

**She didn't even blink. "Your clothes are in the closet."**

"**The closet, what are they doing there?"**

"**I hung them up after I washed them." **

"**You…washed them…where, in the tub?"**

"**In the washer."**

"**I have a washer?"**

"**We have a washer and I can imagine how you would miss it since it was buried under a mountain of dirty clothes when I found it."**

"**Really?" **

**She nodded.**

"**Do I have a dryer?"**

"**Yes."**

"**No wonder the rent is so high in this place…..um when you were in the closet did you see a box marked…."**

"**Big Box O Naughty Videos."**

**Ron ran his hand across the back of his neck. "Uh no, I'm pretty sure it was marked something else."**

"**You sure? You sure it wasn't the box that contained the classic Roman epic film 'Glad-He-Ate-Her'?"**

**Ron tried his hardest to suppress his laughter. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't."**

"**That's good to know, because I threw that box out."**

"**You did? Well," He rubbed his hands together, "Felix will be disappointed, it was his box. He just……for some reason he thought I wanted to borrow it."**

"**That's unfortunate."**

"**Yeah……so anyway, thanks for the laundry stuff……I really appreciate that."**

"**No problem."**

"**Okay, I'm going to go."**

"**Wait, what about that other box you were looking for?"**

"**Oh pfffftt," he waved his hands dismissively. "I'll look for it later…You know some of those tapes in that box were actually foreign films, real artsy and…."**

"**Ah you must be referring to 'Intercourse With The Vampire'. No? 'Romancing the Bone'? How about 'Indiana Bones and the Temple of Boom Boom', or 'The Legend in Bagger's Pants'."**

**Ron cleared his throat. "Hey, I think I'll make an extra special dinner tonight and maybe later I can draw you a nice warm bath."**

**She smiled. "That sounds nice."**

"**Yes, yes it does."**

**Day 5**

"**Sorry Rufus, but I've got the upper hand now," Ron said as he tapped on his controller. He and Rufus grunted and groaned as they bounced up and down on the couch, when the phone rang.**

**Kim entered the room on the fourth ring. "Don't you hear that?" she asked.**

**He paused the game. "I thought this was a good time to test out the answering machine."**

_**Both: Hey this is Ron and Kim.**_

_**Ron: AKA Team Possible. **_

_**Kim: We can't come to the phone right now…**_

_**Ron: Because we're doing something naughty.**_

_**Kim: (laughs) No we're not, sorry dad, we're not home so leave your message at the beep,**_

_**Ron: Beep…just kidding….here's the real beep…it's coming…..right…about…wait…..n--**_

_**Beep**_

**Ron turned to Kim. "That was pretty good."**

"**Hey guys, this is Monique. I guess you two are out…….or maybe you're currently going at it like rabbits. Oh, here's some advice, you should totally do it in every single room in the house. Maybe on the kitchen table or in the bathroom, can you imagine the water smacking against your heated bodies as if you were having this exotically sensual water fight……now that is smoking hot…..Oh well, I'll call back later."**

"**Heh," Ron chuckled as he licked his lips, "is it me or has Monique gotten extra crazy since her engagement."**

"**Yeah," Kim laughed along, "sometimes I think she just says whatever comes off the top of her head."**

**The room fell into an awkward silence for about five minutes. Kim stretched her arms. "You know, I think I'll go take a shower."**

"**Yeah?" Ron squeaked.**

"**After that, I guess I'll make myself a sandwich for lunch."**

**He swallowed the gum he had been chewing on. "Sounds like a plan."**

**Ron continued to stare until she sashayed completely out of the room. "Rufus," he said without turning towards his rodent friend, "we'll finish…later….much later." He stood up. "And um, make sure you stay in here until…until I come back." **

**Rufus rolled his eyes as Ron sprinted out of the room.**

**Day 7**

"**Who sits down on the toilet in the dark? I don't understand what is it about having double X chromosomes that makes you refuse to check to see if the seat is up or not. It's insane," Ron argued.**

"**Insane? I'm the one who's soaking wet. What is it about having a Y chromosomes that means you have to always leave the seat up?"**

"**Flip the switch! All you had to do is flip the light switch and check, is that so hard?"**

"**It's nowhere near as hard as putting the seat down, because that seems to be impossible!"**

**Day 9**

"**Oh man!" Ron pushed through the door of the bathroom. His hands already working at his zipper**

"**Hey!" Kim shouted. She was at that moment sitting on the toilet. "It's occupied!"**

**Ron paused for a second to reflect on the situation. "No, this can not wait!" **

**Kim had a tinge of red on her cheeks. "What are you talking about? I'll be done in a second!"**

"**KP, this is an emergency, I don't know why you're embarrassed, I've seen you nak-!"**

"**No, not in the tub!"**

"**No choice!" He sniffed the air. "Kim are you..."**

"**Shut up!" **

"**Okay, it's not like I thought you never…."**

"**SHUT UP!"**

**Day 10**

"**KP, the stupid dog had an accident in the closet."**

**Kim bent down and picked her puppy off the floor. "Don't call him stupid, I never called Rufus stupid."**

"**Rufus never used my sneaker as a urinal." **

"**It's not his fault, I think he's sick. I'm taking him to the vet today."**

"**Oh," Ron replied softly. "Sorry"**

**She held the puppy up. "Look at his face, he's sorry. Its okay, daddy knows you're sorry."**

"**Kim, you're weirding me out."**

"**What?" **

"**Nothing."**

**Day 13**

"**Shhhh..." Rufus and Kim sniggered as they quietly pushed the door open by a crack.**

**Inside the room, Ron, with a towel wrapped around his waist fresh from a bath, stood up in front of a mirror. Using a hair brush as a microphone he began to sing. **

"**Come on baby please 'cause I'm on my knees, can't get you off my brain girl. But who would've thought that you could be the one 'cause I…." He swayed back and forth. "I can't wait to fall in love with you; you can't wait to fall in love with me. This just can't be summer love, you'll see. This just can't be summer love."**

**He stopped suddenly when he hears snickering coming from behind the closet door. "Who's there?"**

"**Surprise." The door swung open, Rufus and Kim rolling out of the closet in hysterics. To Ron's additional horror, Kim was holding on to a camcorder.**

"**I thought you went to the stor---Why are you holding that?" He said his face now bright red. **

**She stood up. "This….this is just a device people use to capture their most precious memories."**

"**Oh no," he reached for the camcorder but Kim jumped back and rushed to the other side of their bed putting it in between them. **

"**What's wrong? It was adorable, right Rufus?"**

"**Uh-huh," Rufus continued to roll on the ground in fits of laughter.**

**Ron glowered at his pet. "Come on KP, give me the camera."**

"**Wait, you don't want the tape to be sent out with our Christmas cards?"**

"**You wouldn't……"**

"**Are you saying we should hide our private lives from our friends and families?"**

"**Everyone hides their private lives from their friends and family! It's how things are done!"**

"**Hold on a minute, I thought Ron Stoppable didn't follow trends, he made them." **

"**No," Ron attempted to hop over the bed but his foot snagged on the sheets and he bounced off the mattress onto the floor.**

"**Are you okay?" She asked.**

"**Yeah, I'm fine."**

"**Good." Kim then took the opportunity to cheerfully dash out of the room.**

"**Hey!" Ron jumped to his feet. Using a single hand to hold his towel up, he chased after her. **

**Day 15**

_**Now let's try an inner thigh stretch. Sit tall on the mat with your legs apart as far as comfortable, with feet flexed. Slowly lean forward from the hips, with hands flat to the floor. Now you will feel a mild tension in your inner thighs. Hold this position for fifteen seconds……**_

**Kim stood before the TV and studiously followed the instructions from her specialized yoga DVD. She looked over her shoulder to see Ron watching intently from the love seat a bowl of nachos on his lap.**

"**You know, it wouldn't hurt for you to try this as well."**

**Ron scooped some nachos into his mouth. "Why? I just realized that the true beauty of yoga can only be appreciated from the eyes of a spectator. Especially the standing inner thigh stretch, oh yea, that….that was a really good one….I think you should practice that one a little more."**

**She sighed.**

**Day 16**

"**Ron, can I talk to you?"**

**He entered the kitchen a bag of potato chips in hand. "Yo."**

"**You see that?" she pointed at the garbage. The trash had actually been stacked up over the rim of the bin.**

**He continued too munch on his chips. "Uh-huh." He looked up at her and she glared at him. "Oh, you want me to take out the trash."**

**She nodded.**

"**Look, I have this system. I don't throw out the trash unless it overflows. As you can see, it's perfectly fine." He finished off his chips and placed the empty bag on the very top of the heap. "You see." **

**Less than a nanosecond later, the bag slid off the top and slowly floated down to the floor. "That didn't count," he told her quickly.**

"**You're supposed to take out the trash, right?"**

"**Well…."**

"**So let's make this fun."**

"**I like fun."**

"**Here's how this is going to work. You know that thing that I really, really, really like, but you're not too fond of?"**

**Ron knew immediately what she was talking about. "It's not that I don't like 'that'. The thing I don't like is waking up with a stiff neck in the morning."**

**She smirked. "So here's the deal. When you forget to take out the trash and let it overflow then……" she purposely let her words trail off.**

**Ron pondered her statement. "How long?"**

"**Ten minutes unless you're told otherwise."**

**His eyes went wide. "You've got to be kidding?"**

"**But if you do remember to take the trash out frequently, you'll be greatly rewarded."**

**His right eyebrow raised, his interest piqued.**

"**So, is it a deal? **

**Day 19**

"**Ow, my leg!" Ron cried out in the darkness. **

**The lights came on a moment later.**

"**Ron, what's the matter?" Kim asked.**

"**I bumped into the coffee table. I could have sworn it was closer to the TV."**

"**Actually, I moved it."**

"**You moved it?"**

"**I thought it would look better closer to couch. What were you doing up anyway---you weren't thinking about microwaving burritos in the middle of the night again. That is so not healthy…..'**

**Ron clutched his leg and sighed. **

**Day 21**

**He slid into bed besides Kim as she flipped through a magazine. **

"**Did you forget about the trash?" She asked nonchalantly.**

**He slapped his forehead and groaned.**

**Day 24**

**Ron tilted his head and stared at the pink drapes that now hung over his bathroom window. "I guess it's pretty."**

**Rufus responded with a "bleah!"**

**Day 26**

"**So then the jerk opens the panda cage!"**

"**They sell pandas at Smarty Mart?" **

"**Kim, pandas may look cute and cuddly but it's just a front." He continued. "Those guys are animals." He was face down on their bedroom floor as Kim massaged his shoulders.**

"**Well they** _**are **_**animals after all." She said**

"**No Kim, they're not just animals, they're miles of bad road, miles of it, not as bad as monkeys, but evil nonetheless."**

**She moved from his shoulders down to his back "I thought you were over the monkey thing."**

"**I've had a relapse. The pandas somehow got into the monkey cages and well….they started an evil tag team that spread nothing but terror through the first two floors…….Oh the horror, the horror."**

**Kim moved on to his lower back and he melted under her touch. "Uhhhhhhhh, I think it might be worth stepping in panda scat, to come home to this….well almost."**

**Day 29**

**Ron opened his eyes and quietly stretched. The early morning sun peeked through the curtains and shone down onto his face. He blinked for a while. Then he listened, more specifically he listened to Kim's steady breathing. Her back turned to him she slept peacefully only a few inches away.**

**He reached over her with his arm, pulled her closer to him and basked in the extra warmth he received from her body.**

"**Mmmmmm, what's the matter?" she mumbled.**

**He kissed her on the back of the neck and gave her a little squeeze. "Nothing. I just finally know what it feels like to have a cuddle buddy of my own."**

**She laughed and nestled into his embrace. They both then fell right back to sleep.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"There were a few bumps along the road there, but it's been pretty great overall."

"So I assume you're no longer terrified by the prospect of marriage?"

"You would think that yet, last time I checked, it still terrified the heck out of me."

"Has Possible dropped anymore hints about marriage?"

"No, I think she's still taking in the whole moving in experience, but it's just a matter of time I bet." He ran both his hands over his face. "I have learned something though."

"And that is?"

"What I've realized from this whole thing is that it's not the idea of marrying Kim that scares me, that probably was never the issue. It's the idea of being married that freaks me out a little. Mr. B, my dad's married, you see what I'm saying?

"Maybe."

"And another thing that popped into my head the other night. Is being married something you choose, or is it like birth or death, something you just sort of accept or go along with?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know….when I first told Kim how I felt about her, it wasn't something she or anyone else 'expected'. It wasn't a 'I might as well' or 'We're not getting any younger' type of decision, it was something I wanted deep down, untainted by outside influences….it was all me and no one else…...Eh, I don't know….what's the point of have feelings and thoughts when you can't even understand them?"

The conversation fell of at that point and the two men just stared at each other.

"So," Barkin said breaking the silence, "in the shower huh?"

"Oh it's….I'm a gentleman and I want to keep things classy but….it's quite possibly the greatest thing in the history of mankind."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Of course it's easier to get married for a woman. Women are supposed to want to get married and get through life with a husband and child."

Ron leaned against the wall in the corner of the Smarty Mart employee lounge. He had mistakenly brought up the subject of marriage to a few of his coworkers and the topic had spread among them like wildfire. Almost every member of the staff approached him with their own beliefs on the sanctity off marriage. The opinions ranged from dark cynicism to Hollywood like schmaltz.

And now he had been cornered in the lounge by a cranky veteran. "So what's the man's job then?" Ron asked.

"Why, to resist as long as possible before surrendering to the inevitable."

He laughed and Ron sighed.

"So son, this'll be you're what, second marriage?"

"Ah no, it would be my first," Ron thought about it, "and only one hopefully "

"How old are you?" the man asked incredulously.

"Twenty five."

"Twenty five and you haven't been married at least once? You're a bit old fashioned aren't you?"

"What?"

"Don't listen to this joker," a voice said. "Frank's the last person who should be giving marriage advice, he's been married six times."

Ron smiled when Al Harp walked into the room.

"Only five times old man," Frank corrected. "The third one was invalid cuz I was still married to my second wife."

"Bah!" Al waved his hands dismissively. "You don't know nothing about nothing. Take it from a man who's been married for more than fifty years Ron, if there's real love there than there's no reason for you not to get hitched."

Frank checked his watch. "Well my break is over. I'll catch you boys later. I mean, I'll catch the boy and the dinosaur later," Frank guffawed loudly as he walked away.

Al rolled his eyes before bringing his attention back to Ron. "Tell me you saw the GWA PPV last night."

Ron shook his head. "Dude, I totally forgot."

"Oh man!" Al threw his hands up in the air.

At the age of seventy seven, Al Harp was physically the oldest Smarty Mart employee but he was also the youngest at heart. Comics, wrestling, video games, you name it, he was into it. The man came out of retirement to work at Smarty Mart years ago because his wife wouldn't allow him to buy a six hundred dollar gaming system. Al Harp was once a soldier, and a civil rights activist. He had seen and been through all kinds of trials and tribulations but he never lost the magic of his youth.

"You should have seen it, best pay-per-view of the decade. I think it's safe to say it's in my top ten all time."

"It cracked the top ten?"

"Of course, especially when someone blows up McManus's limousine right before the main event."

"No way!"

"And that's not the best part, McManus was in the limo when it exploded."

Ron's jaw dropped. "There hasn't been a storyline twist that great since…"

"Since The Boulder tossed the championship belt into the Mississippi river in ninety six," Al exclaimed.

"I can't believe I missed it. But I've had so much on my mind recently."

Al patted Ron on the shoulder. "You letting this marriage thing stress you out?"

"Well….."

"Son you remind me of myself when I was younger….stupid. You love the girl right, so then what's the problem? Listen, my grand pappy used to tell me that the man who's afraid to fly will never be able to land safely."

Ron laughed. "Your grandfather never said that. That's a line from your 'favorite' song of the month.

Al's eyes twinkled with laughter. "All right, you got me, but that doesn't make it any less true."

"Good point."

'I don't just make good points my friend, I make bon-diggety good points."

Ron grinned. To him Al was the essence of geriatric cool.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was going over the inventory in the storage room when Barkin approached him.

"Stoppable, your grandfather is making a fool of himself again."

"Grandfather? My grandfather is…." It took a moment for Ron to realize what Barkin meant, "oh you mean Al, did he start another Soul Train line?"

"This time he's holding some kind of impromptu karaoke session in the electronics department." Barkin frowned. "The man is so unprofessional."

Ron's face lit up, he reached into his pocket and pulled Rufus out. "Come on buddy, we're going to see some real entertainment. Mr. B, I'm taking five."

"Of course you are. Slackers of a feather flock together as they say," Barkin shouted after Ron ran off.

Al Harp didn't have much of a voice but you couldn't deny he was an entertainer. He waggled and shimmied though a hilarious rendition of the O Boyz Hello, Hello, Hello. Dozens of potential customers gathered around him to see the show. They applauded, hooted, and hollered as the old man gave his artificial hips a work out.

"There he is," he exclaimed when he spotted Ron in the crowd, "jump in."

"I wouldn't want to show you up."

"Bah, five bucks sez you can't even keep up with me." He was surprisingly light on his feet for an old man.

"Alright, you're on!" Ron set Rufus down and happily joined in as Al twisted through the chorus. The whistles and hoots grew louder as they performed a perfectly matched dance routine.

"I have to admit it, you've got some good moves old timer."

"I….." That's when it happened. Ron was mid twirl when he saw Al begin to wobble. A look of mild shock appeared on his face as he stumbled sideways. Al flung his arms out wide as he pitched forward, landing face down on the ground.

"Al!"

No one moved, everyone appeared to be waiting for the old man to suddenly jump back up and finish the dance number.

"Call an ambulance," someone shouted.

"Al!" Ron reached the old man, rolled him onto his back and quickly began to perform CPR. "Come on Al, this isn't funny!"

"Is there a doctor in the house?" a woman cried.

Ron went through the procedure step by step, over and over, until he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Frantically, he looked up at Barkin. "Mr. B, is the ambulance here?"

"It's too late Stoppable."

Al Harp stared blankly at the ceiling. You didn't need to be a doctor to see that he was gone. Even so, Ron continued to push against the old mans' chest. "Come on!" He continued pumping at Al's chest until the ambulance arrived.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron arrived home a few hours later emotionally drained. It was the first time a man had died before his eyes. And not just any man, a man he had admired and respected for weathering the storm of life without compromising or suppressing his essential being.

Kim greeted him with dinner, lit candles and a kiss that would normally have made him forget everything else; but considering the circumstances.

"Something wrong?" She asked when she noticed the mist forming in his eyes.

"I've got to go to the bathroom."

Ron shut his eyes tightly hoping to keep the tears at bay when he heard a faint knock on the bathroom door.

"Ron, are you okay?"

He splashed a handful of water onto his face.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"Do you want to unlock the door?"

"In a minute, uncontrollable sobbing is not exactly proper dinner etiquette."

"Ron, I've seen you cry thousands of times."

He straightened up when he realized that she was absolutely right. He unlocked the door.

"What's the matter?"

He massaged an eyelid with two fingers. "Do you remember Alan Harp?"

"The old guy you worked with? The one with the artificial hip?"

"Yeah, he uh... collapsed today. I don't know if it was a stroke or a heart attack or what…." He felt the tears beginning to come again. "I saw the whole thing. Before he fell, he had a look on his face, it was like a look of... he knew what was happening..."

"That's awful." She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him really tightly, her cheek pressed against his. He hesitated a bit before putting his arms around her as well.

"Thank you," he whispered to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Al Harp was laid out in a satin-lapeled, expensive looking suit. On a nearby table, surrounded by impressively large floral wreaths and bouquets, a tiny boom box played a recording of Drops of Jupiter by the Train.

"I heard you've been in a deep funk."

Ron glanced at Barkin, who happened to be doled up in his Sunday best. Barkin wasn't the only Smarty Mart employee to attend, the entire staff, including Martin Smarty himself, had been invited to the wake.

"Who told you that?"

"Possible might have mentioned it in passing."

"Hmmmm." Ron reflected on his actions in the last few days. He remembered calling in a few sick days, a couple of sleepless nights, and a few afternoons spent staring at the wall just thinking. "I…after what happened, things just seem a bit insubstantial...I guess is the word I'm looking for..."

Barkin looked around "You know traditionally music is not played at a wake. Look at the affect it's having."

Ron scanned the funeral home. Instead of the grim focus on the dead, there was clearly a rather cheerful atmosphere. He wondered if he was the only one with a dark cloud hovering over him.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Al requested this. The music makes a real difference. If you didn't know this was a wake, you would've thought it was a cocktail party."

"Yeah, but he's still dead."

Barkin studied Ron for a moment. "Stoppable, I know Al was a good friend of yours but you can't beat yourself up over this."

"Is that what I'm doing?"

"You seem to have dug yourself into a dark pit."

"Maybe."

"You know she's worried about you."

Ron nodded. "I know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first thing Ron noticed when he stepped up to the coffin was how natural Al looked. Though they could have used a little less powder on his face.

"Well Al, you had a relatively long, healthy life, and you were so badical right up to the very end. You went out doing your favorite thing, being yourself." Ron paused recalling stories of Al's 'adventurous' youth during the sixties. "Okay, your second favorite thing. But anyway, the point is, we should all be so lucky; a satisfying life and a pretty much painless death."

He blinked a few times. "So why am I so freaked about this…….It's just that you were dancing beside me one minute and the next your in this box…..no disrespect….it's a fine box, an excellent box actually, it looks very comfortable, I would be honored to be buried in such a box..." He sighed. "You were a great friend Al, and you know when you said that I reminded you of how you were when you were little, well, it was kind of the opposite for me you know, I saw a bit of me……in you…..I guess ….maybe….."

Ron stood there looking down at Al listening to the light yet melancholy tune coming from the boom box. When a vivid image suddenly invaded his mind. He was standing beside his own coffin staring at his deceased face. A much older Kim stood on the other side, he could see she was distraught but she was still holding strong, being brave on the outside. Three emerald eyed blonds; two girls and a boy stood behind her, whispering what was likely to be soothing words to her.

He vigorously shook the image out of his head before taking in a deep breath and exhaling.

"Goodbye Al," he muttered under his breath.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Luckily, Al's widow hadn't been crying by the time Ron shook her hand.

"Thank you for coming Ronald, I appreciate it, and I know Al does as well." She looked past him. "Ah, and this must be the lovely Kimberly Possible."

Kim gave the old woman a tender peck on the cheek. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you dear. I'm happy to finally meet you, whenever I get a chance to converse with Ronald he takes every opportunity to say wonderful things about you."

Kim blushed. "Is that right?"

"Oh yes."

"Your husband Mrs. Hart," Ron interrupted, "was a great man, and a good friend."

"You were a good friend to him too Ronald…." She looked down at her hands. "We were married for fifty two years. He seemed so healthy, I thought we had a few more years….."

"I….." Ron started to say something but stopped abruptly. "I'm sorry," he said a second before rushing off.

"Ron," Kim began to move after him but Mrs. Hart stopped him. "He's very much like Al, very sensitive people those two. And at times like these, they would prefer to be alone."

"You might be right."

"Kimberly, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Ronald once mentioned that you had a wonderful voice. And Al was always a big fan of karaoke."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You did a good thing," Frank told him.

"Hmmm?"

"The CPR and all with Phil."

Ron shrugged. "It comes with the whole world saving territory I guess."

They sat on the fronts steps of the funeral home. Frank reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He extracted one from the pack and guided it to his lips.

"Hey, I'm sorry about busting your chops about the whole wedding thing."

Ron's head dropped lower than his shoulders. "Don't worry about it."

"Cuz you know I haven't really had good experiences with marriage, you know, ever since my second one."

"Did she leave you at the altar?"

Frank flicked a bit of ash from his cigarette. "That would have been great, it would have saved a crap load of time, and money."

Ron chuckled lightly when music began to waft in from the funeral home.

"But let me tell you something, just between you and me. A guy can do a helluva a lot worse than Kim Possible."

"You're not alone, together we stand. I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand  
when it gets cold, and it feels like the end there's no place to go you know I wont give in, no I wont give in…..."

"Ugh, not this song," Frank groaned. "My daughter plays it ever morning and I'm sick of it."

Ron lifted his head and listened. "That sounds like…." He stood up and wordlessly reentered the building.

"Keep holding on,' cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through. Just stay strong! Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you. There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do, there's no other way when it comes to the truth! So keep holding on! Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through."

Ron waded through a hallway full of mourners until he made it to the doorway of the funeral parlor. There he saw that it was indeed Kim that was singing in front of an audience of Al's closest friends and family. He leaned against the doorway and watched.

"So far away I wish you were here, before it's too late this could all disappear, before the doors close, this comes to an end. But with you by my side I will fight and defend I'll fight and defend yeah yeah."

It was at this point that the rest of the world disappeared for him. Everything in the room besides Kim seemed to be shrouded in darkness. All he could see was her and nothing else. He thought how pretty she was, how much they'd been through together over the years. Then he tried to imagine what more he could possibly want out of life that she wouldn't be able to give him.

He couldn't imagine much of anything.

"Keep holding on,' cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through. Just stay strong! Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you. There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do, there's no other way when it comes to the truth! So keep holding on! Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through."

She glowed in contrast to the unwavering darkness around him. Their eyes locked from across the room

"Hear me when I say, when I say I believe nothings gonna change, nothings gonna change destiny, what ever is meant to be will work out perfectly yeah yeah yeah yeah  
lalalalalalala..."

He smiled. "KP, when did you get so blindingly beautiful?"

"Keep holding on,' cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through. Just stay strong! Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you. There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do, there's no other way when it comes to the truth! So keep holding on! Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Kim's eyes fluttered open and she was surprised to see the other side of the bed completely empty.

"Ron?"

She found him standing alone on the balcony, staring off into the horizon. What was unusual about the scene was that it happened to be raining.

"Ron, what are you doing?"

"Standing in the rain," he said without turning around

"And why are you standing in the rain?"

"I'm thinking."

"Thinking about what?

"Stuff."

"Okay, this is strange behavior, even for you."

Ron turned around and extended out his hand. "Come on out, it's not so bad "

Kim looked up at the cloudy sky and shrugged. "Okay." She took his hand and stepped out.

"Doesn't the rain bother you?"

"Not any more."

"Why not?"

"Cuz you're my umbrella."

"Oh," she replied softly.

He smiled. "That was supposed to sound romantic."

She nodded. "It was, it totally was, it just caught me by surprise."

"Let's get married."

"What?"

"Did that catch you by surprise too?"

"What are you saying?"

'I'm saying I'm ready to commit the rest of my life, and I mean down to my last breath, to you." He knelt before her. "Okay, I don't have a ring yet but here we go…..Kimberly Ann Possible, would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

"Oh Ron."

He wondered if it was tears or rain coming down her face. Maybe a little bit of both.

"That doesn't sound like a yes."

"Yes!" she replied as she knelt down too. They were now face to face. "Of course," she told him before she reached behind his head, pulled his face against hers and kissed him. When the deep kiss broke, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"You idiot, what took you so long?" she chuckled happily into his cheek.

"KP, you should know by now that I'm not that bright. It's something you're really going to have to get used to."

She sniffed. "I can't believe you're my fiancé now."

"A little scary, huh?"

"Not really, it's just that you've been my boyfriend for so long and my best friend even longer than that."

"I consider this a promotion."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Kim, what more do you want from me?"

Kim held the camcorder up to her eye. "Hey, you've kept me waiting for so long, you owe me."

He sighed. "Fine, I Ron Stoppable being of sound mind will now declare my unyielding love for Kimberly Possible…"

"Oh this is getting good," she said. "I just might put this up on our website. Keep going." She zoomed into his face.

"Kim Possible is my past, present and future. She is my everything. To you KP, I pledge to be your dream, your wish, your fantasy. Your hope, your love, be everything that you need. I'll love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply do..."

She moved towards the living room stereo. "Yes, this will definitely go on the web page." She zoomed out to capture his whole body. "Now there's only one more thing left to do."

He groaned "What now?"

She pushed play on the stereo. "Strip."

"Wha?" Ron said as Justin Timberlake's Summer Love blasted through the speakers.

She smirked. "You heard me, and do it slowly."

"Are you kidding…cuz I will definitely do it….I want to be sure that you're asking what I think you're asking."

"I'm not asking, I'm telling you to strip."

"Alright, you're the boss lady." He slowly began to pull peel his shirt of his body,

_I can't wait to fall in love with you, you can't wait to fall in love with me. This just can't be summer love, you'll see, this just can't be summer love."_

She whistled when he twirled and whipped his shirt across the room

_The summer's over for the both of us, but that doesn't mean we should give up on love. You're the one I've been thinking of, and I knew the day I met you you'd be the one._

He danced towards her as he clawed at the waist of his pants. He began to hula causing his pants to slowly fall down his body until it dropped around his ankles, leaving him down to his boxers. "You like what you see, don't ya?"

"Oh yeah!"

_I can't wait to fall in love with you, you can't wait to fall in love with me. This just can't be summer love, you'll see, this just can't be summer love."_

A grin on his face he sauntered up to her while he ran his thumbs around the elastic waist band of his boxers.

She purred seductively when he closed the distance between them.

He was seconds away from pulling down his boxers when they heard. "Kim sweetie, you left the door open!"

"Oh no," Kim gasped, both their heads snapped towards the voice.

"Oh boy." James Possible walked into the living room, then immediately spun on his heels and walked back out.

Anne Possible covered her eyes with her right hand. "We came to celebrate the announcement but I guess you've gone ahead and started without us," she snickered.

Ron shut his eyes. "Oh yes, this is an excellent start to an engagement."

* * *

A/N Hope you liked it. Technically I could end the fic here but I think I could keep going until the wedding. Either way this story should be a short one. Personally I like the proposal scene in this chapter not too schmaltzy but still sweet. And the stuff that led to it was a hurried piece of character development on Ron's part but I think it worked out nicely. I also enjoyed writing the montage of the first month of them living together. Though unfortunately most of it was again like many of my other fics written pretty much from Ron's perspective  



	3. All good

A/N Haven't been to this story for awhile but I have big news. I've decided to turn this into a series. There will be at least two more chapters of this story left (focusing a bit more on Kim and when that's done. We move onto the second part of the series Newlyweds. So it'll be Wedding Bells--Newlyweds arc--Parenthood arc.

So enjoy.

* * *

The Diner was busy, busier than Ron would have thought for this time of the day. He looked across the diner table at James Possible. Who stared ahead, eyes open wide. Ron could only imagine what invisible scene Kim's father was viewing.

"Mr. Dr. P I..."

The waitress interrupted and delivered two bottles of coke before moving on. Their eyes met as they reached for their respective drinks.

"Mr. Dr. P about what you walked in on, I mean what you saw earlier."

James shook his head "I was only a few years younger than you when Anne's father walked into his guest room and discovered his daughter and I engaged in an amorous activity."

"Oh."

"What I'm saying Ronald is that the universe has quite a sense of humor."

"I'll try to not to forget that."

"No need to worry. If you find yourself blessed with children, a daughter especially, it'll all come back to you when you least expect it."

Without the slightest hesitation they reached for their bottles, popped the top and downed the drink. When they looked at each again they let out a satisfied gasp.

"It took you long enough" James said with a smile.

Ron nodded in acknowledgement "luckily Kim's a patient gal."

James fingers tapped lightly against the wooden table "so how are you feeling?"

"Feeling? I'm feeling a lot of responsibility. I'm feeling a lot of pressure. Oh and I'm pretty sure there's a bit a fear in there."

James's eyebrows arched.

"But there are these moments y'know. Like last night after Kim and I had just finished…" he noticed the blank stare coming back at him. "Skipping ahead, she was lying beside me. I was watching her sleep and I."

Ron glanced away for a moment. He turned back to James and said "I thought yea I could do this for the rest of my life. I'd be happy to."

James leaned back into his chair "hmmm"

Ron let his gaze fall to the table "I can't see myself with anyone else."

The waitress arrived once again and handed them both sandwiches and a side of potato salads.

Ron bit into his sandwich "so Mr. Dr. P how about letting me in on some of those secrets to a long-lasting happy marriage."

James grinned "it's good to have a sense of humor - and a short memory."

Ron chuckled softly.

"Oh and Ronald"

Ron looked up from his sandwich "yes sir?"

James grabbed his sandwich "you can call me James."

Ron blinked back in confusion and then his face lit up about half a minute later "sure thing Mr. Dr. P. I mean--that is going to be a really hard habit to break."

Amused James bit into his turkey club.

* * *

"You know Mr. Dr. P--"

"James."

"Right, right" Ron pressed his hand against his forehead as if he were pressing the information into his skull. "Like I was saying I may not be a veteran such us yourself but I think the years that Kim and I have been together have given me some serious prep time."

Ron watched curiously as his future father-in-law slid into the Sloth's passenger seat. Though it may have been some sort of hallucination. For a brief moment he caught a glimpse of a sagely aura emanating from the man.

"Here's one, let's say Kim appears upset, and you don't know why. You ask and she says "I'm okay" does--"

Ron chuckled proudly "already ahead of you. Eighty percent of the time "I'm okay" means "I'm not ok and I want you to stick around long enough to figure out what's wrong."

James smiled "how about the classic "do I look big in this?"

Ron rolled his eyes "too easy. "I want reassurance as to how good I look in this outfit," or "I'm insecure about how I look and need reassurance." In simpler terms "tell me I'm beautiful."

"I'm not angry" James challenged.

A soft chortle came from the driver's side "oh yea that one _rarely_ comes up. "Of course I'm upset, why do you even have to ask?" is the underlying message there."

James ran his hands together "I want new curtains."

"And carpeting, and furniture, and wallpaper. I learned that one recently. Once about two weeks after she moved in I came home and for a brief moment I thought I had broken into somebody else's house."

"Fine, just do what you want."

"Another classic, my interpretation of that is "You will be sorry if you don't guess what I really want you to do." I'm very familiar with that one."

James clucked approvingly "well Ronald you seem to be on the top of your game, but there's more to it than that. It takes some work to keep a marriage strong; you get as much you put in."

"I bet" Ron put the key into the ignition. "I know I said I've picked up on most of Kim's Kimness. But she said something recently that had me totally confused."

"What did she say?"

"Check this out, I'm eating breakfast and she walks into the kitchen. She looks around, and says "this kitchen is a little inconvenient don't you think?" then she pours herself some cereal. What did that mean?"

"That should be pretty obvious son."

"It can't possibly be what I think it means."

"Go with your gut."

Ron vigorously rubbed his hand against the back of his neck "she wants to buy a house?"

James nodded "bingo."

_But she just moved into my apartment_ Ron thought.

"You're getting married son, you'll have to start giving some serious thoughts about owning your own home."

Ron blew out a breath "K."

He turned on the engine and the Sloth came to life. James shifted uncomfortable in his seat before his eyes landed on a peculiar looking switch located just below the radio. A tiny label above the switch read "rockets are go." His curiosity catching the best of him James reached for the switch. Ron who had been checking the rearview mirror caught a glimpse through his peripheral vision of James' fingers grasping for the switch.

"Mr. Dr. P don't!"

Too late the flip had been switched.

"It's Jame--

James cried out when the two front seats abruptly reclined until he and Ron were practically vertical. Before he could blink the two seats snapped together like Legos, and then combined with the backseats to create a very narrow yet comfortable mattress. James looked on in surprise as the moon roof slid open, lit scented candles appeared in the cup holders, and a spinning LED disco ball arose out of the dashboard.

And to top it all off the radio came to life.

_I've been really tryin , baby  
Tryin to hold back these feelings for so long  
And if you feel, like I feel baby  
Come on, oh come on._

Ron and James quietly stared up at the ceiling. Lying on their backs, their shoulders touching, they both in their own way hoped--prayed that this was all just dream. It would be an unimaginably awkward dream for one of them indeed; but still mercifully it would only be a dream.

_Let's get it on  
Lets get it on  
Let's get it on  
Let's get it on._

And not the awful reality.

_We're all sensitive people  
With so much love to give, understand me sugar  
Since we got to be  
Lets say, I love you_

"Rockets are go eh?" James commented.

Ron groaned

"This is a very" pause "inconvenient position we're in."

"Inconvenient is not the exact word I would have used to describe this situation Mr. Dr. P."

_There's nothin wrong with me  
Lovin you  
And givin yourself to me can never be wrong  
If the love is true!_

"I'm surprised this thing doesn't offer martinis."

Ron was about to announce that the martini machine was out for repairs but he got himself just in time.

_Don't you know how sweet and wonderful, life can be  
I'm askin you baby, to get it on with me  
I aint gonna worry, I aint gonna push  
So come on, come on, come on, come on baby  
Stop beatin round the bush..._

James turned to Ron "on the bright side Anne should be happy to know she probably won't have to wait that long for grandchildren."

Ron placed his hands over his face and wished for the earth to swallow him whole.

_Let's get it on….._

"Ronald?"

"Yes Mr. Dr. P"

"It's James and a though I'm fond of this particular song. I wouldn't mind if everything went back to normal again."

"Oh right." Ron reached desperately for the switch.

* * *

Wordlessly Ron stepped out of the elevator of his apartment building and James followed suit. They shuffled down the hallways until they were standing before Ron's door. As Ron slid his keys into the door he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You know if you are in need of assistance. Anne and I would be happy to help with the financing for the house."

Ron took a moment to process the information "um I appreciate the offer Mr. Dr. P but I think Kim and I should take a shot at this thing, if you can understand that."

James removed his hand from Ron's shoulder "I certainly can, and it's James."

Ron's shoulders slumped "I don't think I can do it Mr. Dr--you see I've been saying Mr. Dr. P for so many years now."

"It is it that hard to say James?"

"JJJJJJ" Ron began to stutter "JJ Mr. Dr. P."

James let out an exasperated breath "well keep working on it."

They pushed through the doors and were greeted by their respective counterparts.

"So guys did you have a good drive?" Anne asked.

Ron and James involuntarily shuddered violently at the same time. Kim wrapped her arms around Ron's waist as he and James exchanged weary glances.

"So have a nice chat?" Kim asked.

Ron mouthed "rockets are go."

Kim gasped "he didn't?"

To her horror Ron nodded solemnly in response. They heard another gasp, which was immediately followed by muffled giggles. Kim and Ron turned to see Anne and James whispering in a corner of the living room.

Rufus bounded into the room and immediately felt the pressure of the thick atmosphere. Curious he scanned the immediate area. Kim appeared mortified; Ron and Kim's father were glancing at their shoes while Kim's mother was apparently trying her hardest to suppress her laughter. The molerat shrugged and skipped towards the kitchen.

"It's always nice to have family around" Ron remarked.

* * *

A month later:

Ron speared a few wilted lettuce leaves, lifted it to his face and stared at mournfully

"Ron Stoppable eating a salad on his lunch break? You always struck me as the type to push his oh so youthful metabolism to its limits."

Ron caught sight of Barkin standing at the doorway of the Smarty Mart employee lounge. Indifferent to the remark Ron stuffed the leaves into his mouth.

Barkin strolled over to Ron's table and took a seat "what's going on?"

"Wedding" Ron blurted as he attempted to choke down the dry lettuce.

"I don't follow" Barkin said.

Ron swallowed the mouthful "Kim lost ten pounds in the last few weeks. She says she has to prepare for the wedding. I'm trying to match her enthusiasm."

"Got to look good for the prom I suppose."

Ron tapped his nose with the end of his fork. He shoveled a forkful of croutons into his mouth before glancing up briefly at Barkin.

"You might as well go ahead Stoppable I know you have more to say."

"A house" Ron started "a good house is going to run us about what eighty grand to a hundred grand tops?

Barkin regarded Ron curiously then he threw his head back and let out a loud whoop that ended in uproarious laughter.

'What?"

Barkin tumbled out of his seat and rolled along the floor in a laughing fit, his body convulsed with mighty spasms.

"What?"

Eventually Barkin's laughter began to subside and the substitute teacher picked himself off the ground and regained his composure.

"What?" Ron repeated

"Are you buying a house in 1982? In this state eighty grand--" Barkin paused to wipe a tear from his eye "-won't get you an empty lot built over an ancient Indian burial ground."

Ron quietly pushed a dry tomato around his salad bowl "not the most encouraging bit of news. But we can make this work, correction maybe Kim can make this work because I kind of have a credit problem."

"Bad credit?"

"Try no credit. Throughout college I actually avoided credit cards."

Barkin tsked disapprovingly "what are you a communist?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing, being responsible for the future. You know, keeping myself out of credit card debt."

"What about student loans and such?"

"My parents handled all of my heavy financials ever since the "incident" with the naco royalties."

"So what you're saying is you have zero credit at the age of 25...So basically to banks you don't even live on the planet earth. With no credit you're completely off the grid."

Ron couldn't think of real reply to this. He stared silently at the salad bowl and he smile ran through a gamut of emotions ranging from self loathing to determination.

"I might have to quit" he glanced around the lounge "I have a better job lined up."

"It's your life son; you have to do what's best."

"Yeah" with a deft motion, he speared the tomato and, with flourish, he lifted it towards his lips. "yeah it is my life and I'm going to get things done, I got my low interest rate card in the mail today."

Barkin puffed out his chest "you go son, you go out there and you spend like and honest responsible American."

Ron jumped to his feet "Yessir"

Before Ron could walk out Barkin grabbed him gently by the arm "Stoppable you do realize that eventually you have to pay the credit companies back right…and on time?"

Ron studied Barkin's face hoping to find a sign that he was joking "you do realize that I'm not a complete idiot?"

Barkin leaned back into his chair "whatever you say Mr. Liberal Arts major."

* * *

Wide eyed and anxious Ron's head swiveled back and forth as he took in the interior of the empty jewelry store. This was brand new territory for him. He was like a teapot ready to boil over with intense feelings that he could no longer contain. Though he had technically proposed to Kim already the excitement of officially declaring his unconditional love left him a bit breathless with anticipation.

"Excuse me sir."

Startled Ron let out a loud yelp.

"May I assist you sir?"

Ron drew in a breath and stared at the lone man behind the counter. With no one else in sight Ron could only assume he was the jeweler. He had his hair slicked back with what Ron assumed was petroleum and he wore a tight cashmere sweater.

The jeweler offered him a sour and snooty look "may I help you?"

Ron shook off his anxiousness like a dog "yeah I'm looking for a ring for engagement. I mean an engagement ring. Do you have any of those?"

The jeweler allowed the awkward silence to hang in the air

"Yes we do."

"Great I'll take one."

"Hmmm" The jeweler ran his hands under his chin "how much do you love your significant other?"

There was moment of hesitation before Ron asked "what?"

"How much do you love her? I assume it's her."

"You assume correctly" Ron replied.

"Again, how much do you love her?"

"How much do I love her? My love is true…..it's the truest truth that has ever been um true. It is deeper than the deepest deep of unimaginable depth. Our loves grows like a schoolyard rumor, it's like sharing the remote for a show called life. A love forged on an agreement called forever."

The jeweler lifted his hand up to cut Ron off "I get it."

Ron watched as his hand lowered beneath the counter and he heard the click of a switch. Immediately a tiny platform containing a small closed treasure chest rose from the ground. Once the platform reached Ron's waist the chest popped open revealing a single sparkling ring.

"Allow me to introduce the magnificent Asscher Cut & Baguettes Platinum Engagement Ring. Perfect for only the truest of true loves."

Ron closed his eyes and he saw the ring sparkle in his eyelids "I'll tak--." Ron stopped himself "I mean how much is it?"

The jeweler pulled out a pen and a small piece of paper. He scribbled on the paper before sliding it across the counter to Ron.

Ron gazed down at it. His eyes flickered back from the jeweler to the note "is this your phone number? I mean I'm flattered but--"

"That is the price of the ring sir."

His legs giving way Ron balanced himself against the counter "am I getting a share of the store with this?"

"No but the ring does come with a lifetime guarantee of commitment."

Ron's eyes widened for the second time that day "really?"

"No." The jeweler muttered with disdain. "That was a joke."

"Oh" Ron stared despondingly at the platinum engagement ring "I don't think this ring is in my ball park. I mean I will be looking at houses in the not too distant future y'know."

The jeweler shrugged indifferently "let's find something that _is _in your ball park."

Abashed Ron turned to the jeweler "I mean I wouldn't put a price on my love. But now is not the time for uh." He wanted to say luxuries but it pained him too much to say it.

"Whatever, you say sir."

To Ron's dismay the chest slammed shut and the platform lowered into the ground, fading away from him as if he had been chosen to be unworthy.

_No I shall not despair! _

"My good man, show me you're finest ring. And by that, I mean from one to four thousand dollars kind of finest."

After close to an hour of cerebration, consideration, contemplation, deliberation, meditation, reflection, rumination, and speculation over a wide variety of rings; Ron excitedly tapped against the glass counter.

"This, this is it." Ron cried. "This is perfect."

"Are you sure sir?"

"Let me do a reference check." Ron pulled his cell from his back pocket and took a picture of the ring with the camera phone.

He slapped the phone shut and placed it on the counter "I'm sending the picture to a friend of mine; she and Kim, my fiancée--" Ron stopped.

"That's a weird word fiancée, fiaaancéeeee."

"Sir?"

"Right, my friend and Kim have similar tastes in stuff."

The jeweler let out a few sighs and Ron whistled softly to himself as they waited for the incoming phone call. A minute of so later, his cell began to vibrate violently on the countertop. Ron snatched it up and snapped the phone open.

"Yo Mo what do you think?"

Ron pressed the phone against his ear "uh-huh, yeah, uh-huh….sure." He then pushed the phone away from his face.

"She's crying" he whispered to the jeweler.

"Is that a good thing sir?"

"I think. It sounds like the good type of crying. Sometimes I can't tell." He placed the phone back to his ear "Mo--Monique, yeah, I, uh yes it's beautiful, yeah chances are you and Kim will get married in the same year, right, it's a big deal I know, yes love is a magical thing, I understand…Mo--Mo--MONIQUE!--Should I buy the ring?"

He winced and pulled away when a resounding yes came from the other side of the line. Ron returned the phone to his ear, thanked Monique for her help and put the cell away.

"I think she liked it. I'll ta--Wait, no! I have to ask, this isn't one of those blood diamonds is it?"

The jeweler rolled his eyes "you have my guarantee sir that it is not."

"I'll take it!"

"Will that be cash or cre—

Ron swiftly slapped a brand new credit card onto the counter. "Booyah."

* * *

Sitting at the far end of their dinner table, Kim and Ron gave each other hard stares, distant, cold, no emotion.

"I know it's my turn, but since I do most of the cooking….." Ron let his words trail off

"Well that wouldn't be a problem if someone _let_ me do something in the kitchen once in awhile."

"You cook all the time."

"Dinner?" Kim asked with a hint of edge in her voice.

Ron bit his bottom lip "it's not that I don't want you to cook dinner. It's just uh I have more specialties."

"I have specialties" Kim said

"Flutter nutters are not dinner specialties" Ron countered.

"Oh so that's how you want to play eh? You want to play games?" Kim said as they exchanged weak smiles.

"You better believe it sister."

She tilted her head "Ron I love you."

He nodded "Kim I absolutely love you."

Kim's gaze did not waver "I absolutely, definitely love you."

"I absolutely, definitely, devotedly love you" he responded.

"I absolutely, definitely, devotedly, doubtlessly, love you" she said.

She smirked "I absolutely, definitely, devotedly, doubtlessly, firmly love you."

"I absolutely, definitely, devotedly, doubtlessly, firmly, genuinely, love you."

They continued, back and forth non stop for the next five minutes until they finally hit a lull when Ron began to falter.

"Go on" Kim pressed.

"The rules say I've got thirty seconds" he announced. "I…I absolutely, definitely, devotedly, doubtlessly, firmly, honestly, righteously, sincerely, surely, truthfully, unequivocally, madly, wholly, fully, enthusiastically, love you."

He topped the whole thing off with a wide grin.

"That's sweet" she declared lovingly. "But you forgot 'genuinely.' It came right after firmly and right before honestly. And that means you lose and you have to do the dishes."

Ron's face scrunched up in disappointment and he smacked his right palm against his forehead "this is so not fair."

Kim pushed her chair from the table and got up to her feet "you know the rules, you challenged and you lost. Rules are what separate us from the animals."

Ron ran his hands across his face "you know I meant everything I said."

She walked over to him and pecked him lightly on the cheek "your appeal has been noted but denied. When you're done with this, before you jump on the video games I want to talk about the big day."

"Sure" He glanced at the sink full of dishes and moaned.

* * *

When Ron entered the bedroom Kim was lying comfortably in bed and sifting through a pile of documents.

He walked over to the foot of the bed and bowed "I've done the dishes master, is there anything else that you desire."

"Hilarious" Kim commented without looking up at him.

Ron paused to admire her. She was wearing one of his jerseys and very little else. His shirt reached down past her waist, so from the angle he was standing at, it was hard to tell if she was wearing her usual boy shorts or possibly something cotton. Perhaps yet even something of the lacy variety.

Either way his blood was pumping.

"Hello? Are you listening?" she asked while reclining on her elbows.

He stared at her hungrily "Kim I'm totally in tune with what you're thinking."

"Ok" she pulled out a massive folder. Then she looked up to see that Ron had removed his shirt and was working on his belt.

"Um, Ron?"

Before she could say anything else Ron had stripped down to his boxers. He walked over to her bed and sat down beside her. He stared into her eyes, and took her left hand carefully into his.

"Yes KP?" he asked innocently.

She gave him a delightful smile "Ron I really appreciate the enthusiasm, really, but I remember distinctively saying that we needed to _talk_."

"Sure that's why I'm here."

"I'm not so sure about that. For one thing you've got your bedroom eyes--

He blinked rapidly at her.

"--plus you're massaging my hand and working your way up."

"No I'm not" Ron glanced down to see that his fingers were deftly moving up her forearm. He pulled away "point taken."

She sat up crossed her legs and stared at him with her insanely deep green eyes. "Ron focus this is important."

"I hear what you're saying but." He looked at her bare legs and then back at her "you're sending mixed signals here."

"How am I sending you mixed signals?"

"Well for one thing you're wearing my shirt; if that's not a mating call of some sort then I don't know what is."

She made a move to get up "alright I'm going to change."

Ron pulled her back down "ok, ok, I'm good. I'm good."

"Seriously?"

He pointed at his face "note the serious face. Let's talk about the wedding which if I recall correctly is months away."

"I know but" she handed him the folder "My mom and I have devised a few spreadsheets and we printed out this checklist. We can use them when visiting venues for the ceremony so we can remember to ask all the important questions and also so we can remember the answers. And additionally we could use them to calculate the costs and--

"Wait a minute" Ron interrupted as he scanned all the work the Possible females had done "the wedding is months away" he repeated.

"I know" she said "A _few_ months away."

He found that he had no reply to this statement.

* * *

"There better not be any monkeys" Ron blurted out loud. "That's my only stipulation for now."

"Why would we have monkeys at the wedding?"

"I'm just putting it out there."

"Fine" Kim placed her checklist into a clipboard and penned a few notes onto it "no monkeys"

So far they were leaning towards the traditional white wedding, though that wasn't necessarily set in stone. They did however agree that they wanted a sit down meal and an evening reception. Ron had mentioned a disco but he wasn't sure that Kim had heard him either that or she was ignoring him.

His hands folded under his head Ron gazed up at the ceiling "when we were five we had a fake wedding and we pretended to travel to the wedding in a horse and carriage.

Kim was silent for a moment from sheer surprise "you remember that?"

"I remember reciting vows before Father Stretch Armstrong."

"Horse and carriage, like in a fairy tale" Kim remarked

Ron let out a melodramatic sigh "oh the things you had me doing back then."

She tossed a pillow at him "you liar, you enjoyed playing pretend as much as I did."

"I plead the fifth" he laughed.

"But it's funny that we are now decades later actually planning a real wedding. If only we knew way back then."

"If only we knew" Ron echoed.

After some quiet reflection Kim shrugged "ok I'm just going to come out and say it. I'd really like the horse and carriage."

A grin came to Ron's face "on one condition; we must have the theme to Top Gun playing in the background during our vows."

"What?"

"Quid pro quo Kim, Quid pro quo."

* * *

"So I was thinking we should probably serve chicke--ok stop"

_Hey, girl, ain't no mystery, at least as far as I can see. I wanna keep you here layin' next to me, sharin' our love between the sheets. _

"Ron, when did you turn on the radio?"

Kim moaned slightly in protest and pulled away; as Ron ran his fingers through her hair and attempted to kiss her exposed neck and chin.

He scooted closer closing the gap between them. He caught her hands; and kissed and nuzzled his way towards her wrist. She closed his eyes and breathed in his scent as he made his way upward.

"When did you find the time to put on body lotion?"

"When you were talking about the brides' maid dresses" he answered

She sniffed again "mmmm I love the smell of coco butter"

Kim relaxed into the pleasure as he kissed, nibbled and licked at her neck. She purred softly "now this isn't fair; how did you get so good at seducing me?"

"Practice, practice, practice" he whispered into her ear.

_Ooh, girl, I'll love you all night long. And I know you felt it comin' on, ooh, darlin' just taste my love, ooh you taste so sweet, sharin' our love between the sheets._

Abruptly the mood was immediately shattered when the phone started to ring. Simultaneously their eyes darted to the nightstand where the phone seemed to be ringing louder than it ever had, since they purchased it. Kim attempted to get up but Ron held her close.

"The phone is ringing." She told him.

"This moment right here" he started. "This moment here, is exactly why answering machines were invented."

The voice that came from the answering machine was soft, friendly and familiar.

**Hey guys!**

"Tara" Ron muttered under his breath.

**I just wanted to remind you guys about the dinner party on Saturday.**

Ron silently mouthed "no."

"It's not like she can hear us…..besides, we have no choice I already promised them we would come."

**Josh has this painting that Ron would absolutely adore--**

Ron let out a loud moan of exasperation and frustration.

**--and we got this brand new coffee table from Italy that I'm just dying to…Tina what are you doing? No Tina, you do that in the potty--in the potty--no don't do THAT!"**

Kim and Ron exchanged glances.

**Ok fine, fine just don't touch, don't touch it….watch out for the walls, Tina the walls, we just had the walls painted. Tina…..Tina! TINA, MOMMY WILL HIT….MOMMY WILL HIT!**

Ron and Kim's eyes went wide at the same time.

**JOSH, JOSH--she's doing it again--Yes….I don't know--I don't know where the gloves are….use your hands--I don't care……You can just wash it out of your clothes later--She's your daughter Josh, it's not going to give you leprosy. Yeah-- It's called bleach maybe if you washed something once in awhile--Uh-huh yeah well your mother isn't here is she Josh? And if she was here I'd tell her to mind her own freaking business! Who is she to tell me how to raise my daughter! What, oh please--Here's what you do Josh, carry her in your body for nine months, push all eight pounds and six ounces of her out of one of your holes; drug free I might add, I'm talking Au freaking Natural; then, then we'll compare notes and complain about the little things together!**

Ron ran his hand through his hair "ok this is a little uncomfortable"

**Two seconds, that's all I'm asking for. Two seconds to use the # phone is that too much to ask for?! You see what you did? You made me curse in front of Tina!**

There came a pause.

**So we'll see you two on Saturday right? It should be a great night; Josh, Tina and I are so excited! We're on pins and needles; we just can't wait to see you guys! Ciao for now."**

After the long period of silence that followed the terminating click; Ron ventured out of his daze and glanced at Kim.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she said.

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip "Kim we haven't really discussed it detail--

"I know" she stated

He lifted his gaze to hers "KP I understand, I know the thing with the puppy--

"What thing with the puppy" she interrupted. "Oh and F.Y.I her name is Esther."

Ron's right eyebrow arched "Esther? Esther as in my mother's middle name Esther?"

"Isn't it adorable?"

An awkward pause followed as Ron's brain crashed and rebooted. After sifting through the abundance of thoughts that had popped up, he combined the good ones into an appropriate response.

"Yes, adorable." He said quickly before clearing his throat. "Now I would absolutely love to, with you, eventually beget a new generation of Stoppables as my ancestors did before me. It would, WILL be a highlight of my life but--

"Go on" she said.

"--Give me a sec I'm processing…..KP, remember when you moved in and_ Esther_ went through her 'pee in Ron's sneakers phase.' That led to a few; I'm not saying it was anybody's fault; but it did lead to a few fights between us. We didn't exactly prepare to have a puppy living with us, together."

"So what I'm extrapolating from that is, you don't think we're "emotionally" prepared to bear the responsibility of having children."

"That's not what I said" he replied. "But that is kind of what I'm_ saying_."

She went silent as she reflected on what he was "saying."

Visibly anxious he asked "penny for your thoughts KP?"

"Um" Kim glanced briefly at the answering machine. "I think that we should give the marriage time to get established before adding the stress of pregnancy and children."

Ron's head bobbed up and down

She continued "it would probably be in our very best interests to give ourselves time to enjoy one another, alone….for a while."

"For a very temporary while" Ron stated.

"Of course" her eyes darted back to the phone. "You think Tara and Josh will be alright?"

Ron scoffed "are you kidding? This is TASH we're talking about. I've gotten cavities hanging around those two. They deserve each other."

Kim smiled "I've heard the same said about us."

"Uh-uh we're nowhere near as bad as them. I'm very proud of that fact."

Kim laughed and shifted her position on the bed "you still….?"

"Um" Ron's eyes again went to the answering machine. A sigh escaped his lips and he released Kim from his embrace

"It's uh; I may need some time to recover."

* * *

"I'm not sure if it should be a small intimate wedding or a big affair. The thought crossed my mind to have it at the beach but that might be too tacky." She glanced over at Ron who was now lying with his back to her.

"Ron?"

She heard muffled snoring coming from him.

"Are you asleep?"

"Big affair" he muttered.

"Huh" Kim twirled her hair between her fingers while she reflected on the situation "so you want a big wedding?"

"Big affair" He muttered once again.

"It'll be expensive."

"Uh huh" he continued snoring.

"It'll be very expensive."

He didn't reply

She nudged him ever so lightly "It'll be really, really expensive." She whispered.

His body twitched "that's fine."

"I mean we don't need to have fireworks."

"…….Fireworks"

Kim scribbled onto a sheet "ok fireworks. What do you think about releasing a dozen white doves after the vows?"

"Doves…."

"I like the doves too" Kim said as she continued scribbling "ok now here's a biggie, if you want to have the wedding at a castle then don't say anything."

Silence

Kim grinned, "spankin."

"You do know I'm actually awake right?"

"No big I'm getting all the answers I need" she announced with a smile.

* * *

Ron placed the back of his head onto Kim's lap and stared up at her "Star Wars then?"

"No."

"Star Trek?"

"No"

"Lord of the Rings?"

"We're not having a theme wedding Ron!"

"I'm telling you we should totally have a medieval festival style wedding."

She looked down at him "I was joking about the castle thing."

"But think about it, you could come out in a medieval lace dress or maybe a trimmed velvet cloak like some kind of ancient Celtic princess."

"Why would I do that?"

"Why wouldn't you? You'd look great; you'd be the envy of all ladies across the lands."

She rolled her eyes "OK"

"If anyone could pull it off it's be you. Cuz my lady is a classic beauty mixed with modern hotness."

A smile on her face Kim quietly traced the lines of his face with her fingertips "awww you're just saying that because you're trying to get in my pants."

She lowered her head; with her eyes narrowed and her lips already parted, she kissed him. Breaking the kiss she said "and you're succeeding marvelously."

She kissed him again and when it over they were both breathing raggedly.

"I wasn't joking about the castle" she said.

Ron sat up and pulled Kim into him "Now you're just taking advantage of me."

He laid her onto her back and resumed the intense kissing.

Beep--beep—be—beep

They stopped immediately and looked at each other. Kim shrugged and Ron cursed under his breath.

* * *

There wasn't a window or a door in sight. Kim made note of this as she stood in the middle of the room. She held out her forearm and aimed the face of her Kimmunicator towards the wall. She pushed a button on the Kimmunicator and it projected a beam of light that washed over the walls.

"So, we got caught by who?"

Kim turned to see Ron at the far end of the large room sitting in the lotus position.

"Hank Perkins" she slowly made her way across the room coating the walls with the light emanating from her watch.

"Was he the guy who interned for Drakken that one time?"

"That's him. He must have come back to take another stab at the villain life."

Ron shut his eyes and drew in a breath "so is this a new low for us?"

"I don't know; if I recall correctly he seemed pretty competent. He did take away most of my gear and he locked up Rufus."

"True but he let you keep the Kimmunicator and he didn't separate us."

"Touché."

Ron let out a deep breath and unfolded his legs "I'm ready, when you are."

"I'll be done scanning in just a sec" she told him as she aimed towards the very high ceiling.

His back against the wall Ron yawned loudly "here's something I've been thinking about. In a few months, I won't be able to call you KP anymore."

Kim aimed at the floor "I know what you're thinking and I have already prepared for this."

"Really?" Ron exclaimed genuinely surprised.

"Yep, you can call me Kim on weekdays; sweetie, Kimi, or Kimala, on the weekends, my darling Kimberly Ann on Valentines Day; Kimsy-Whimsy when you're feeling playful; gorgeous and or ravishing on every other major holiday."

"Huh, that sounds reasonable. So when do I call you Mrs. Stoppable?"

Kim glanced over her shoulder and gave Ron a devilishly inviting look "when you're, at your happiest of course."

A sliver of excitement ran through his spine. "I couldn't possibly love you anymore more than I do now."

**Hello, hello is this thing on. This is Hank Perkins speaking.**

"PA system in the walls" Kim told Ron.

**Team Possible welcome to your doom! Mwhahahahaha (clears throat) Wait let me try that again…..MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.**

Spikes protruded from the ceiling and to no one's surprise the entire ceiling, spikes and all, slowly began to descend upon them.

Ron yawned again "the old spiked ceiling gag. Hank's a hack alright."

Kim glared at the trap "it's moving unusually slow, don't you think?"

The ceiling moved at a snail's paces, descending only a few inches every forty seconds. Kim calculated that they would have at least five minutes before it even came close enough for them to begin worrying.

**Sorry about the wait folks but unfortunately I couldn't afford a brand new ceiling trap. Lairs are pretty expensive to maintain. But I've just been informed by my henchmen, that I can take the opportunity to mock and belittle you unmercifully as you await your untimely death. You know play some mind games, a little psychological trauma.**

"Go for it." Kim challenged.

**Alright let me take a look at my notes here…oh it says here you're getting married. Can you confirm or deny this?**

"Yeah we're getting hitched alright." Ron declared.

**Oh this is interesting Stoppable I'm looking over your profile here and; I uh minored in psychology by the way; according to your character type you should absolutely be freaked out by the prospect marriage. It says here that the responsibility and the pressure brought on by society's image of an ideal husband should have you swamped in fear and distress. So the question is why would someone like you want to get married?**

Kim rescanned a section of the wall and motioned for Ron to come over.

**One would have to assume that you were pressured into this situation. I mean is it that much of a stretch? You personality profiler also says you are the type to easily become hopelessly devoted.**

Kim slapped her hand against the wall. Ron nodded to her and took a fighting stance.

**For all intents in purposes you hit the jackpot, you'll probably never do better than Kim Possible. So you bit the bullet, You thought you made the choice but you didn't really, you were badgered into getting married, trapped, pressured by her overbearing Type A personality. Did you say yes or did you just surrender! In the war of love Stoppable you're most definitely French……**

Ron punched the wall and it exploded outwards creating a man sized hole that he and Kim could walk through.

"Ladies first" Ron replied.

Kim pecked him lightly on the cheek and he followed her out of the trap. The hole led them into what could only be the control room of the lair. They traversed through the room, following the sound of Perkin's voice, until they came upon their captor.

Perkins sat before a control panel with his back to them "you surrendered, you are weak, remember that as you die!" Perkins cackled.

"Yo" Ron called out.

Perkins twirled in his seat to face Team Possible "oh I knew I shouldn't have sent the henchmen out for lunch."

"And you should also have cameras in the trap dude."

Kim nudged Ron with her elbow "no tips for the villains Ron."

"So it's over?" Perkins asked anxiously.

"Not quite" Moving quickly Kim belted Hank with a roundhouse punch knocking him unconscious. "Now it's over."

"That's going to sting when he wakes up." Ron turned his attention to Kim; who seemed more than agitated.

"Everything cool?"

"It had to be done. He was a jerk." she proclaimed.

Ron looked over at Hank's body "you don't hear me complaining. But you look upset."

"I'm not upset" she said before quickly brushing past him. "I need to be alone for a minute."

"Something is up" Ron muttered to himself.

* * *

Candles flickered softly on the dinner table, soft music drifted through the air and a bottle of wine chilled in a bucket of ice next to the candles. It would have been an utterly romantic scene if Ron hadn't been alone or sleepy.

His eyelids like sandbags Ron tried desperately to stay awake.

Ever since they foiled Perkins Kim had been a bit antsy to say the least. What better way to cheer her up then finally giving her the ring? There would be no better night then tonight to surprise her.

But she was running late.

After racking his brain for hours on how to present the ring, he decided to bake Kim's favorite dessert; a scrumptious mini strawberry cheesecake; and hide the ring in the upper layer. Drowsily Ron looked over the room. He saw Rufus ridding Esther like a cowboy on a bucking bronco and it may him chuckle. But it wasn't enough to keep him from blacking out.

Like sleeping beauty Ron was awakened by a kiss. His eyes fluttered open to see Kim face before him.

"Hey" he said.

"Hey I'm sorry I ruined your plans."

"Plans" Ron muttered weakly as he wiped the sleep from his eyes "oh right"

"I feel so bad, if I had known I would have been here sooner. But then again if I had known it wouldn't have been a surprise. Still I love the execution a candlelight dinner for two is very, very sweet."

"Oh right" Ron repeated as he began to recall his plans for the night. It was just about then that he noticed the plate of crumbs on the table.

"Kim, when did you come in?"

She shrugged "um maybe a half hour ago."

He continued to eye the crumb filled plate "why didn't you wake me up when you got home?"

She pinched his cheek teasingly 'Well you looked so adorable I thought I'd let you sleep awhile longer."

"Uh-huh did you find it?"

She followed his eyes to the plate. "Oh the cake, yes and it was perfect" she exclaimed with her eyes closed.

"And?" Ron asked nervously.

"And…?" Kim stated.

Ron's eyes went back and forth from the plate to Kim. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Oh" she smiled "alright I know, I said I was on a diet but I missed lunch and I was sooooooo hungry and before I realized it I had eaten the whole thing."

"You….you're kidding me right? You're joking, you're playing me? Tell me it's April Fools day and I didn't notice!"

Kim looked perplexed "I--huh?"

He stood up "don't tell me you ate the entire cake?!"

"Ok" Kim put her hands up in mock surrender "I know I pigged out and I should have saved you a piece but I think you might be overeating just a little bit. It was perfect but it wasn't that perfect."

Shocked beyond belief Ron turned on his heels, walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of water. He reentered the living room, guzzled the water and let the cup dramatically fall from his hands onto the floor.

Kim waited silently as the light from her watch covered her. "How does it look Wade?" she asked when the scan was over.

"X-ray is positive; there is some definite bling bouncing around in your stomach. You know I've heard about dogs eating wedding rings but this is just on another level of--

Kim glared at Wade "this is not funny."

"Come on, you've got to admit it is actually kind of funny."

Exasperated she turned off her Kimmunicator

Kim and Ron eyed each other, or more specifically they locked their gazes to each others eyes. Then their gazes fell to the floor, and then returned to each other. Eventually Ron broke the silence.

"You ate the engagement ring I brought you" he said softly.

"I didn't know! Why would you put it in the cake anyway?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise; it was supposed to be romantic, according to this movie I saw. It was supposed to be a night to remember."

"Well…" Kim avoided his gaze. Then she managed to bring a grim smile to her face "I ate the ring."

"You ate the ring!"

"I know I ate the ring, I just said I ate the ring, you don't need to tell me that I ate the ring. I feel really bad about eating the ring."

Ron sighed "is your stomach alright? Are you feeling any pains or cramps that we should be worried about? We need to get you to an emergency room because I don't think a diamond has any nutritional value."

"I feel fine I guess" she patted her stomach. "It's probably no real big. Like a baby swallowing a penny you know."

Ron shook his head "like a baby swallowing a penny. Do you not realize that it was your engagement ring! It was beautiful, it was expensive…………and you ate it!"

"I'm sorry I ate it, I'm sorry."

As Kim apologized Ron began to pace back and forth "you know what this is right? It's a sign, it's an omen, the universe is saying "Ron you idiot, if you can't even deliver the engagement ring properly, how in the world are you going to get a marriage to last. We might as well call the whole thing off right now."

Kim twitched nervously while she ran her fingers through her hair "if that's what you want."

Ron stopped mid-pace "huh?"

She looked away "if you feel that it's the best thing for you right now; then we can call it all off."

Ron coughed into his fist "whoa, whoa, something is whacked here. I panic and exaggerate the situation, and you reassure me with kindness and logic. That's how we work, that's our system. You're being completely out of character here."

"Ron I don't want to pressure you into doing something that you're not entirely comfortable with."

"Wha…" he stopped to figure out how the conversation had reached this point. "Is this because I haven't thrown myself into the wedding planning? Our moms and your grandmother were creating pie graphs and templates and statistics, it's a bit overwhelming."

"I understand, and if you don't feel like you're ready for all that I can wait."

Ron took a moment to study her face "is this because of what Hank Perkins said. He's a villain Kim, villains are notorious liars."

"I know that, but he made some points, I mean before Al's funeral you weren't really….I know he was a great friend of yours and the whole thing hit you really, really hard but right after that came the wonderful, wonderful proposal and it was such wonderful moment that was so wonderful."

His arms wide open he said "it was wonderful, I know, I'm glad it was wonderful. Wonderful was something I was trying to recreate tonight but this is happening instead."

Kim's lips quivered slightly as she spoke "I just want you to know I won't be upset if we're not exactly on the same page. Ok I might be a bit upset but I won't be angry. I don't want it to feel like you were given an ultimatum. I'm genuinely happy just being here."

"For the record, this is a strange, strange turn of events." Ron told her.

"Just think about, go with what you feel is right ok." She made a gesture to the front door "I'm going to get some air."

Stunned Ron watched her go.

She walked now in silence, besides the heavy breathing that accompanied her rapid footsteps. Kim made it down to the lobby of the apartment building in record time, and then she practically sprinted towards the parked Sloth.

Eyes a tad misty she popped into the driver's seat. She was quickly backing out of her parking space when she heard a loud thump. She turned away from the back window to see that someone had jumped onto the hood of her car.

"Ow" the person moaned before rolling off the hood onto the ground.

The person's voice was all too familiar. She rolled down her window and stuck her head out "Ron is that you?"

"Yeah" came a weak voice from the front of the vehicle "you're probably wondering why I did that; well I was trying to stop you."

"So you jumped on the hood of my car."

"I didn't want you to leave!"

"You could have called out my name!"

Ron crawled into her field of vision "ok I admit that might have been a little impulsive…..God I think I sprained my wrist. Apparently the MMP doesn't take stupidity into consideration."

Kim stepped out of the car and checked his swollen wrist "are you insane?"

He sat up "let's not focus on my illogical actions, let's focus on the real issues here. The key issues, let's talk about that."

Kim inhaled and exhaled "I know Perkins was messing with us but I didn't want you to feel like I strong armed you into something you weren't ready for. Because down the road that just leads to resentment; I had this dream recently, where years into our major you woke up one morning and you hated me. And then I had to explain to the kids that daddy left because he felt our ten years of marriage was a lie."

Ron stared at Kim with sympathetic eyes "KP you should have told me sooner we could have been paranoid and insecure together."

He stopped to gather his thoughts.

"I'm going to be completely honest; I did hesitate when you first hinted at the marriage, heck when you hinted at moving in with me, I thought "what we have now is great, why add more responsibility to it?"

"You see--

"But that was high school Ron talking. High school Ron is the same Ron who felt like he did too much work when he got a B- minus. I may be a college grad but every now and then high school Ron will pop in. I hate H. S Ron and maybe he'll always be a part of me but he's doesn't know what's best for me. He's an idiot. But he can be overcome, smothered by common sense and overpowering feelings. Because like that song….that song whose lyrics I am unfortunately blanking on."

He snapped his fingers vigorously against his ear. After awhile his face lit up.

"Kim I love you today more than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow. That's how I feel."

Kim placed her hands in his "I know that you love me I'm not doubting that. That's why I don't want you to feel like you surrendered to something--

He gave her hand a little squeeze "the morning I did that wonderful proposal. I looked in the bathroom mirror and I asked myself this. I said "self if you had the chance, ignoring the big ceremony, ignoring the fanfare and the hype; if you had the chance to marry Kim this very second would you do it?"

He drew in a breath "I told myself without any hesitation "yes I would." And I mean that literally. I was actually talking to myself like a crazy person."

"Well--

"Kim our future is bright, or destiny is manifest. If you want to get married right now, let's go, we can catch a flight to Nevada we'll be married by tomorrow afternoon, I guarantee--."

But before he could finish the sentence, she kissed him with the passion and intensity of someone who had, for years been starving for attention. She kissed him without taking the time to notice if he were kissing her back.

When finally she stopped she said "I appreciate the offer but I'm looking forward to the big ceremony, the fanfare and the hype. It would make me really happy."

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

They looked at each other and started to giggle

"I swallowed the ring" she said softly.

"You swallowed the ring."

"I'm really sorry" she said. "But now we've got another story to tell at parties."

He kissed her again. Their lips pressed lightly together he said "I'll take the opportunity to say I don't feel like I surrendered at all, in fact I'm clearly the big winner here."

She closed her eyes and reopened them a moment later "So am I. Ron I can't see myself being with anyone else, ever" she told him.

"Awww, you're just saying that because you love me."

She nuzzled her cheek against his "actually I'm just trying to get in your pants."

He grinned "oh-ho you should know by now that you don't really need to try that hard."

"Well then I say rockets are go" she cooed into his ear

He was about to pull her closer when a thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute before this goes any further. I need to know something about that dream you had."

"What?"

"You said _kids_ as in the plural to kid. How many kids were in that dream?"

"Y'know I swallowed a ring, and you sprained your wrist. We should really be getting to a hospital."

"Wait a minute answer the question."

"We'll uh cross that bridge when we get there" she stood up and made her way to the Sloth.

"Hey hold on a sec, was it two, it was two right?"

"I vaguely recall twins being involved" Kim replied as she slid behind the wheel.

"Involved?" he said incredulously. "What do you mean involved?"

"Are you getting in?" she called out to him.

"Ok three, was it three. It had to be three."

"Honestly I don't remember."

"Oh you are so lying. I know because you are a terrible liar."

High beams flashed over Ron's body and to Kim he clearly resembled a deer caught in the headlights.

"Four?! It couldn't have been have been more than four. You're not telling me it's more than four are you? ...………. Look I'm sorry but five is definitely where I have to draw the line."

"Get in the car" she laughed.

* * *

A/N Hope you enjoyed the fluff. A few of the situations may seem exaggerated but I think most of it works ;)

Read and review folks. Reviews are food for the soul.


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